A die is presented for pressing powdered materials into a hemispherical shape of uniforin density and wall thickness comprising a fcmale and male die element held in a stationary spaced relation with the space being equivalent to the wall thickness and defining the hemispherical shape, a pressing ring linearly moveable along the male die element, an inlet to fill the space with powdered materials, a guiding system for moving the pressing ring along the male die element so as to press the powdered material and a heating system for heating the male element so that the powdered material is heated while being pressed.

This investigation determined whether selected ion beam sputtered coatings on H-13 die steel would have the potential of improving the thermal fatigue behavior of the steel used as a die in aluminum die casting. The coatings were selected to test candidate insulators and metals capable of providing protection of the die surface. The studies indicate that 1 micrometer thick W and Pt coatings reduced the thermal fatigue more than any other coating tested and are candidates to be used on a die surface to increase die life.

An asymmetrical shaped capillary die made exclusively of graphite is used to grow silicon ribbon which is capable of being made into solar cells that are more efficient than cells produced from ribbon made using a symmetrically shaped die.

An asymmetrical shaped capillary die made exclusively of graphite is used to grow silicon ribbon which is capable of being made into solar cells that are more efficient than cells produced from ribbon made using a symmetrically shaped die.

More than one-half of the 2.4 million deaths that will occur in the United States in 2004 will be immediately preceded by a time in which the likelihood of dying can best be described as "ambiguous." Many people die without ever being considered "dying" or "at the end of life." These people may miss out on the…

A press was invented for subjecting specimens of bismuth, urania, yttria, or thoria to high pressures and temperatures. The press comprises die parts enclosing a space in which is placed an electric heater thermally insulated from the die parts so as not to damage them by heat. The die parts comprise two opposed inner frustoconical parts and an outer part having a double frustoconical recess receiving the inner parts. The die space decreases in size as the inner die parts move toward one another against the outer part and the inner parts, though very hard, do not fracture because of the mode of support provided by the outer part.

A method is disclosed for singulating die from a semiconductor substrate (e.g. a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate or a bulk silicon substrate) containing an oxide layer (e.g. silicon dioxide or a silicate glass) and one or more semiconductor layers (e.g. monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon) located above the oxide layer. The method etches trenches through the substrate and through each semiconductor layer about the die being singulated, with the trenches being offset from each other around at least a part of the die so that the oxide layer between the trenches holds the substrate and die together. The trenches can be anisotropically etched using a Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) process. After the trenches are etched, the oxide layer between the trenches can be etched away with an HF etchant to singulate the die. A release fixture can be located near one side of the substrate to receive the singulated die.

A method is disclosed for singulating die from a semiconductor substrate (e.g. a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate or a bulk silicon substrate) containing an oxide layer (e.g. silicon dioxide or a silicate glass) and one or more semiconductor layers (e.g. monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon) located above the oxide layer. The method etches trenches through the substrate and through each semiconductor layer about the die being singulated, with the trenches being offset from each other around at least a part of the die so that the oxide layer between the trenches holds the substrate and die together. The trenches can be anisotropically etched using a Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) process. After the trenches are etched, the oxide layer between the trenches can be etched away with a HF etchant to singulate the die. A release fixture can be located near one side of the substrate to receive the singulated die.

Three experimental research designs investigating candidate materials and processes involved in protective die surface coating procedures by sputter deposition, using ion beam technologies, are discussed. Various pre-test results show that none of the coatings remained completely intact for 15,000 test cycles. The longest lifetime was observed for coatings such as tungsten, platinum, and molybdenum which reduced thermal fatigue, but exhibited oxidation and suppressed crack initiation only as long as the coating did not fracture. Final test results confirmed earlier findings and coatings with Pt and W proved to be the candidate materials to be used on a die surface to increase die life. In the W-coated specimens, which remained intact on the surface after thermal fatigue testing, no oxidation was found under the coating, although a few cracks formed on the surface where the coating broke down. Further research is planned.

A method and die apparatus for manufacturing a honeycomb body of rhombic cell cross-section by extrusion through an extrusion die of triangular cell discharge slot configuration, the die incorporating feedholes at selected slot intersections only, such that slot segments communicating directly with the feedholes discharge web material and slot segments not so connected do not discharge web material, whereby a rhombic cell cross-section in the extruded body is provided.

Over 25 years ago, Kubler-Ross identified anger as a predictable part of the dying process. When the dying patient becomes angry in the clinical setting, all types of communication become strained. Physicians can help the angry dying patient through this difficult time by using 10 rules of engagement. When physicians engage and empathize with these patients, they improve the patient's response to pain and they reduce patient suffering. When physicians educate patients on their normal responses to dying and enlist them in the process of family reconciliation, they can impact the end-of-life experience in a positive way.

Two types of tests, dipping tests and dip-coating tests were carried out on small steel cylinders using pure aluminum and 380 alloy to investigate the mechanism of die soldering during aluminum die casting. Optical and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the morphology and composition of the phases formed during soldering. A soldering mechanism is postulated based on experimental observations. A soldering critical temperature is postulated at which iron begins to react with aluminum to form an aluminum-rich liquid phase and solid intermetallic compounds. When the temperature at the die surface is higher than this critical temperature, the aluminum-rich phase is liquid and joins the die with the casting during the subsequent solidification. The paper discusses the mechanism of soldering for the case of pure aluminum and 380 alloy casting in a steel mold, the factors that promote soldering, and the strength of the bond formed when soldering occurs. conditions, an aluminum-rich soldering layer may also form over the intermetallic layer. Although a significant amount of research has been conducted on the nature of these intermetallics, little is known about the conditions under which soldering occurs.

Notes that, in contemporary Western society, people feel death of small child is greater injustice than death of older adult and experience correspondingly greater sorrow, anger, regret, or bitterness when very young person dies. Contrasts these attitudes with those of ancient Greece and shows relevance that different attitudes toward death have…

An attachment structure is disclosed for attaching a die to a supporting substrate without the use of adhesives or solder. The attachment structure, which can be formed by micromachining, functions purely mechanically in utilizing a plurality of shaped pillars (e.g. round, square or polygonal and solid, hollow or slotted) that are formed on one of the die or supporting substrate and which can be urged into contact with various types of mating structures including other pillars, a deformable layer or a plurality of receptacles that are formed on the other of the die or supporting substrate, thereby forming a friction bond that holds the die to the supporting substrate. The attachment structure can further include an alignment structure for precise positioning of the die and supporting substrate to facilitate mounting the die to the supporting substrate. The attachment structure has applications for mounting semiconductor die containing a microelectromechanical (MEM) device, a microsensor or an integrated circuit (IC), and can be used to form a multichip module. The attachment structure is particularly useful for mounting die containing released MEM devices since these devices are fragile and can otherwise be damaged or degraded by adhesive or solder mounting.

A method and die apparatus for manufacturing a honeycomb body of triangular cell cross-section and high cell density, the die having a combination of (i) feedholes feeding slot intersections and (ii) feedholes feeding slot segments not supplied from slot intersections, whereby a reduction in feedhole count is achieved while still retaining good extrusion efficiency and extrudate uniformity.

This Article critiques conventional liberal arguments for the right to die on liberal grounds. It contends that these arguments do not go far enough to recognize and address private, and in particular structural, forms of domination. It presents an alternative that does, which is thus more respectful of true freedom in the context of death and dying, and also more consistent with liberalism. After discussing obstacles to the achievement of a right to die that encompasses freedom from both public and private domination, the Article closes with a significant reform project within bioethics that might help bring it about.

Written especially for grieving mothers whose babies have died, this booklet offers an overview of stages and experiences through which bereaved parents commonly pass. Specifically, the text is intended to give comfort to bereaved parents, offer insight into the grieving process, and provide thoughts on leave-taking ceremonies. The first section…

... to have fun with. That absence leaves a big hole in our lives. Maybe you had a pet that died . Remember the first few times you walked into the house after your dog or cat was gone? It was strange not to have ...

The following report covers work performed at Ohio State on modeling the mechanical performance of dies. The focus of the project was development and particularly verification of finite element techniques used to model and predict displacements and stresses in die casting dies. The work entails a major case study performed with and industrial partner on a production die and laboratory experiments performed at Ohio State.

Tungsten forming in a press brake employs a bottom die assembly with a heating manifold between two water-cooled die sections. The manifold has hydrogen-oxygen burners spaced along its length for even heat during forming.

Designing a die is in every application field an intensive process of bringing together know how from design, testing and every-day use from previous dies with the new application requirements. Contribution deals with a knowledge oriented, modular and feature integrated computer aided design system for die development. This paper describes the concepts behind designing a hydroforming die for sheet metal forming, with easy application-use in small workshops for testing hydroforming capabilities of different materials.

Death is a theme of central importance in all cultures, but the manner in which it is interpreted varies from society to society. Even so, traditional cultures, including Christian, Hindu and Jain religious traditions, exhibited a positive attitude to death and did not look upon it in a dualistic framework of good vs bad, or desirable vs undesirable. Nor was pessimism the dominant mood in their thinking about death itself. A fundamental paradigm shift occurred in the West in the eighteenth century when death was desacralized and transformed into a secular event amenable to human manipulation. From those early beginnings, dying and death have been thoroughly medicalized and brought under the purview of high technology in the twentieth century. Once death is seen as a problem for professional management, the hospital displaces the home, and specialists with different kinds and degrees of expertise take over from the family. Everyday speech and the religious idiom yield place to medical jargon. The subject (an ageing, sick or dying person) becomes the object of this make-believe yet real world. As the object of others' professional control, he or she loses the freedom of self-assessment, expression and choice. Or, he or she may be expected to choose when no longer able to do so. Thus, not only freedom but dignity also is lost, and lawyers join doctors in crisis manipulation and perpetuation. Although the modern medical culture has originated in the West, it has gradually spread to all parts of the world, subjugating other kinds of medical knowledge and other attitudes to dying and death.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Die-to-die reticle inspections are among the simplest and most sensitive reticle inspections because of the use of an identical-design neighboring-die for the reference image. However, this inspection mode can have two key disadvantages: (1) The location of the defect is indeterminate because it is unclear to the inspector whether the test or reference image is defective; and (2) nuisance and false defects from mask manufacturing noise and tool optical variation can limit the usable sensitivity. The use of a new sequencing approach for a die-to-die inspection can resolve these issues without any additional scan time, without sacrifice in sensitivity requirement, and with a manageable increase in computation load. In this paper we explore another approach for die-to-die inspections using a new method of defect processing and sequencing. Utilizing die-to-die double arbitration during defect detection has been proven through extensive testing to generate accurate placement of the defect in the correct die to ensure efficient defect disposition at the AIMS step. The use of this method maintained the required inspection sensitivity for mask quality as verified with programmed-defectmask qualification and then further validated with production masks comparing the current inspection approach to the new method. Furthermore, this approach can significantly reduce the total number of defects that need to be reviewed by essentially eliminating the nuisance and false defects that can result from a die-to-die inspection. This "double-win" will significantly reduce the effort in classifying a die-to-die inspection result and will lead to improved cycle times.

Death certificates for 1977 filed with the New York State Department of Health were studied to determine where people died. Data were examined by the location and cause of death and by the age, sex, race, and marital status of the decedent. Comparisons were made with a similar study in which U.S. data were used for 1958 events. Approximately 60 percent of all the 1977 deaths in upstate New York occurred in hospitals; only 27 percent occurred outside an institution. The location of death varied by all the factors studied. Within all age categories, males had a higher percentage of hospital deaths. In those age categories in which nursing home deaths comprised a significant proportion of total deaths, females had a higher percentage of such deaths than males. Differences in the location of death according to its cause reflect the nature of the cause of death, for example, whether it was of sudden onset or the result of chronic disease. Most people do not consider in advance where they might die. The idea that age, sex, and marital status, as well as the more obvious cause, all play a part in the location may seem surprising. Yet all these factors were found to be associated withe location of deaths in upstate New York, and there is no reason to believe that this association does not hold true for the entire nation. More research, however, needs to be done based on more years and other geographic artal stutus may be instructive as to the present state of health resources. PMID:515338

This paper addresses work to minimize voiding and die tilt in solder attachment of a large power die, measuring 9.0 mm X 6.5 mm X 0.1 mm (0.354” x 0.256” x 0.004”), to a heat spreader. As demands for larger high power die continue, minimizing voiding and die tilt is of interest for improved die functionality, yield, manufacturability, and reliability. High-power die generate considerable heat, which is important to dissipate effectively through control of voiding under high thermal load areas of the die while maintaining a consistent bondline (minimizing die tilt). Voiding was measured using acoustic imaging and die tilt was measured using two different optical measurement systems. 80Au-20Sn solder reflow was achieved using a batch vacuum solder system with optimized fixturing. Minimizing die tilt proved to be the more difficult of the two product requirements to meet. Process development variables included tooling, weight and solder preform thickness.

Notes that caregivers of the dying would do well to consider the prescriptive power of humor when confronting the challenges of healthy care for the terminally ill. Addresses laughter as the best medicine not only for the dying person but also for family and principal caregivers. Includes examples of therapeutic use of humor with the terminally…

The worldwide economic recession and the concomitant limited stock of finances have had an influence on the available money of every household and have also inhibited the improvement of socio-economic conditions and medicine. The Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) has the objective of improving the living conditions of the people with regard to housing, education, training and health care. The latter seems to be a major problem which has to be addressed with the emphasis on the preventive and promotional aspects of health care. A comprehensive health care system did not come into being property in the past because of the maldistribution of health care services, personnel and differences in culture and health care beliefs and values. The question that now arises, is how to render a quality health care service within the constraints of inadequate financing and resources. A comprehensive literature study has been done with reference to quality health care and financing followed by a survey of existing health services and finances. Recommendations are made about minimum requirements to be accepted if one were to adapt rather than die in terms of the provision of healthcare: the decentralization and rationalization of the administration of health care, the stress on and realization of effective and efficient primary health care, the acceptance of participative management in health providing organizations, the provision of financial management training for health care managers and the application of management accounting principles for the improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of management.

Compaction dies used to create europium oxide and tantalum control plates were modeled using ANSYS 11.0. Two-piece designs were considered in order to make the dies easier to assemble than the five-piece dies that were previously used. The two areas of concern were the stresses at the interior corner of the die cavity and the distortion of the cavity wall due to the interference fit between the two pieces and the pressure exerted on the die during the compaction process. A successful die design would have stresses less than the yield stress of the material and a maximum wall distortion on the order of 0.0001 in. Design factors that were investigated include the inner corner radius, the value of the interference fit, the compaction force, the size of the cavity, and the outer radius and geometry of the outer ring. The results show that for the europium oxide die, a 0.01 in. diameter wire can be used to create the cavity, leading to a 0.0055 in. radius corner, if the radial interference fit is 0.003 in. For the tantalum die, the same wire can be used with a radial interference fit of 0.001 in. Also, for the europium oxide die with a 0.003 in. interference fit, it is possible to use a wire with a diameter of 0.006 in. for the wire burning process. Adding a 10% safety factor to the compaction force tends to lead to conservative estimates of the stresses but not for the wall distortion. However, when the 10% safety factor is removed, the wall distortion is not affected enough to discard the design. Finally, regarding the europium oxide die, when the cavity walls are increased by 0.002 in. per side or the outer ring is made to the same geometry as the tantalum die, all the stresses and wall distortions are within the desired range. Thus, the recommendation is to use a 0.006 in. diameter wire and a 0.003 in. interference fit for the europium oxide die and a 0.01 in. diameter wire and a 0.001 in. interference fit for the tantalum die. The dies can also be made to have the

This paper explores the question, "Is there a universal psychological experience suffered by all dying persons?" a question to which the popular theory of Kübler-Ross presupposes an affirmative answer. Our answer takes three steps: first, a comparison between the Kübler-Ross model of dying and that of the late medievalBook of the Craft of Dying centered upon the five Kübler-Ross "stages"; second, a philosophical critique of the terms of this comparison; and third, a revised look at the alleged similarities between the two models, providing a deeper look at the moral and spiritual assumptions behind each.

A die is presented for the extrusion of metals, said die being formed of a refractory complex oxide having the composition M/sub n/O/sub m/R/sub x/O/sub y/ where M is magnesium, zinc, manganese, or iron, R is aluminum, chromic chromium, ferric iron, or manganic manganese, and m, n, x, and y are whole numbers. Specific examples are spinel, magnesium aluminate, magnetite, magnesioferrite, chromite, and franklinite.

Dying is universal, and death should be a peaceful time. Myriad comfort measures are available in the last weeks before life ends. Discussions about end-of-life issues often suffer from lack of informed opinion. Palliative care experts have identified specific somatic and psychological sources of distress for dying patients and their loved ones. Pain, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, and fear of abandonment contribute substantially to both physical and psychological discomfort toward the end of life. Simple, effective methods exist for relieving those symptoms. Knowledge about the natural events associated with dying and an informed approach to medical and psychological interventions contribute to systematic and successful comfort care. We describe the origin of physical and psychological distress at the end of life and provide strategies for alleviating many of the discomforts. PMID:7571591

The study attempts to understand how dying from cancer is portrayed by five movies produced in Hollywood between 1993 and 2006. Based on the cultural studies and their post-structuralism version and supported by the notions of discourse and subjectivity, as proposed by philosopher Michel Foucault, we suggest one of the possible readings of the movie picture corpus. We assess how the movie picture discourse acts as a cultural pedagogy that produces ways of seeing dying with cancer: immortalizing the healthy body image, silencing death, taking care of the dead body and, finally, accepting death. Our proposal is intended to stimulate reflections that may contribute to care and education in nursing.

A portable punch and die jig includes a U-shaped jig of predetermined width having a slot of predetermined width in the base thereof extending completely across the width of the jig adapted to fit over the walls of rectangular tubes and a punch and die assembly disposed in a hole extending through the base of the jig communicating with the slot in the base of the jig for punching a hole in the walls of the rectangular tubes at precisely determined locations.

This paper explored attitudes toward death and dying revealed through interviews with members of the clergy, the medical profession, funeral directors, nursing home residents, and selected others. The sampling was small and results are not intended to be representative of the groups to which these people belong. Rather, the study may be used as a…

This article features Robert Merton, who died recently at age 92. Merton came into this world as a Jewish baby named Meyer Schkolnick. He lived in South Philly where his parents wrenched a living as blue-collar workers. Merton chose an Anglicized name to move into the Yankee dominated America of the 20's and 30's. At Harvard, he studied under…

The effects of welding, five selected surface coatings, and stress relieving on the thermal fatigue resistance of H-13 Die Steel for aluminum die casting dies were studied using eleven thermal fatigue specimens. Stress relieving was conducted after each 5,000 cycle interval at 1050 F for three hours. Four thermal fatigue specimens were welded with H-13 or maraging steel welding rods at ambient and elevated temperatures and subsequently, subjected to different post-weld heat treatments. Crack patterns were examined at 5,000, 10,000, and 15,000 cycles. The thermal fatigue resistance is expressed by two crack parameters which are the average maximum crack and the average cracked area. The results indicate that a significant improvement in thermal fatigue resistance over the control was obtained from the stress-relieving treatment. Small improvements were obtained from the H-13 welded specimens and from a salt bath nitrogen and carbon-surface treatment. The other surface treatments and welded specimens either did not affect or had a detrimental influence on the thermal fatigue properties of the H-13 die steel.

When an individual facing intractable pain is given an estimate of a few months to live, does hastening death become a viable and legitimate alternative for willing patients? Has the time come for physicians to do away with the traditional notion of healthcare as maintaining or improving physical and mental health, and instead accept their own limitations by facilitating death when requested? The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge held the 2013 Varsity Medical Debate on the motion "This House Would Legalise Assisted Dying". This article summarises the key arguments developed over the course of the debate. We will explore how assisted dying can affect both the patient and doctor; the nature of consent and limits of autonomy; the effects on society; the viability of a proposed model; and, perhaps most importantly, the potential need for the practice within our current medico-legal framework.

To prevent distortion of extruded metal, a guidance assembly is aligned with the die. As the metal emerges from the extrusion dies, it passes directly into the receiver and straightening tube system, and the completed extrusion is withdrawn.

Die Casting dies are subject to severe service conditions during the die casting operation. While these severe conditions are necessary to achieve high production rates, they cause the dies which are commonly made of H13 die steel, to suffer frequent failures. The major die failure mechanisms are erosion or washout, Heat checking, soldering and corrosion. Due to their geometrical complexity, die casting dies are very expensive (some dies cost over a million dollars), and thus a large number of parts have to be produced by a die, to justify this cost and leverage the advantages of the die casting process (high production rates, low manpower costs). A potential increase in the die service life, thus has a significant impact on the economics of the die; casting operation. There are many ways to extend die life: developing new wear resistant die materials, developing new surface treatments including coatings, improving heat treatment of existing H13 dies, using better lubricants that can protect the die material, or modifying the die geometry and process parameters to reduce the intensity of wear. Of these the use of coatings to improve the wear resistance of the die surface has shown a lot of promise. Consequently, use of coatings in the die casting industry and their wide use to decrease die wear can improve significantly the productivity of shop operations resulting in large savings in material and energy usage.

A method is disclosed for singulating die from a substrate having a sacrificial layer and one or more device layers, with a retainer being formed in the device layer(s) and anchored to the substrate. Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) etching of a trench through the substrate from the bottom side defines a shape for each die. A handle wafer is then attached to the bottom side of the substrate, and the sacrificial layer is etched to singulate the die and to form a frame from the retainer and the substrate. The frame and handle wafer, which retain the singulated die in place, can be attached together with a clamp or a clip and to form a package for the singulated die. One or more stops can be formed from the device layer(s) to limit a sliding motion of the singulated die.

A thin film eutectic bond for attaching an integrated circuit die to a circuit substrate is formed by coating at least one bonding surface on the die and substrate with an alloying metal, assembling the die and substrate under compression loading, and heating the assembly to an alloying temperature in a vacuum. A very thin bond, 10 microns or less, which is substantially void free, is produced. These bonds have high reliability, good heat and electrical conduction, and high temperature tolerance. The bonds are formed in a vacuum chamber, using a positioning and loading fixture to compression load the die, and an IR lamp or other heat source. For bonding a silicon die to a silicon substrate, a gold silicon alloy bond is used. Multiple dies can be bonded simultaneously. No scrubbing is required. 1 figure.

A thin film eutectic bond for attaching an integrated circuit die to a circuit substrate is formed by coating at least one bonding surface on the die and substrate with an alloying metal, assembling the die and substrate under compression loading, and heating the assembly to an alloying temperature in a vacuum. A very thin bond, 10 microns or less, which is substantially void free, is produced. These bonds have high reliability, good heat and electrical conduction, and high temperature tolerance. The bonds are formed in a vacuum chamber, using a positioning and loading fixture to compression load the die, and an IR lamp or other heat source. For bonding a silicon die to a silicon substrate, a gold silicon alloy bond is used. Multiple dies can be bonded simultaneously. No scrubbing is required.

This program guide on the right to die provides policy issue information where ethical concerns have a prominent place. Three positions about the right to die are presented: (1) mercy killing and assisted suicide should be legally permitted in certain cases; (2) legal status should be given to living wills and other advance directives that would…

Molten metal processing is inherently energy intensive and roughly 25% of the cost of die-cast products can be traced to some form of energy consumption [1]. The obvious major energy requirements are for melting and holding molten alloy in preparation for casting. The proper selection and maintenance of melting and holding equipment are clearly important factors in minimizing energy consumption in die-casting operations [2]. In addition to energy consumption, furnace selection also influences metal loss due to oxidation, metal quality, and maintenance requirements. Other important factors influencing energy consumption in a die-casting facility include geographic location, alloy(s) cast, starting form of alloy (solid or liquid), overall process flow, casting yield, scrap rate, cycle times, number of shifts per day, days of operation per month, type and size of die-casting form of alloy (solid or liquid), overall process flow, casting yield, scrap rate, cycle times, number of shifts per day, days of operation per month, type and size of die-casting machine, related equipment (robots, trim presses), and downstream processing (machining, plating, assembly, etc.). Each of these factors also may influence the casting quality and productivity of a die-casting enterprise. In a die-casting enterprise, decisions regarding these issues are made frequently and are based on a large number of factors. Therefore, it is not surprising that energy consumption can vary significantly from one die-casting enterprise to the next, and within a single enterprise as function of time.

The die casting process is one of the net shape manufacturing techniques and is widely used to produce high production castings with tight tolerances for many industries. An understanding of the stress distribution and the deformation pattern of parts produced by die casting will result in less deviation from the part design specification, a better die design and eventually more productivity and cost savings. This report presents methods that can be used to simulate the die casting process in order to predict the deformation and stresses in the produced part and assesses the degree to which distortion modeling is practical for die casting at the current time. A coupled thermal-mechanical finite elements model was used to simulate the die casting process. The simulation models the effect of thermal and mechanical interaction between the casting and the die. It also includes the temperature dependant material properties of the casting. Based on a designed experiment, a sensitivity analysis was conducted on the model to investigate the effect of key factors. These factors include the casting material model, material properties and thermal interaction between casting and dies. To verify the casting distortion predictions, it was compared against the measured dimensions of produced parts. The comparison included dimensions along and across the parting plane and the flatness of one surface.

Reviews research on death orientations, the dying process, and bereavement, with a major focus on the elderly. Suggests that relevant knowledge about death and dying are important for gerontological practitioners and proposes that death-related content be systematically integrated into academic curricula at the preservice and inservice levels.…

Apparatus for restraining and transporting dies in punch press operations is provided. A floatation platen for supporting a die on the platen's upper surface has a plurality of recessed gas exhaust ports on the platen's lower surface. A source of pressurized gas delivers gas to a platen manifold, for delivery to orifices located in the gas exhaust ports. The flow of gas is controlled by a first valve adjacent the gas source and a second valve adjacent the manifold, with the second valve being used to control the gas flow during movement of the die. In this fashion, a die may be moved on a cushion of air from one workstation to a selected second workstation. A moveable hydraulically operated restraining fixture is also provided, for clamping the die in position during the compacting phase, and for releasing the die after completion of the compacting phase by releasing the hydraulic pressure on the restraining fixture. When pressure in the hydraulic cylinders on the restraining fixture is reversed, the restraining fixture will retract so that there is no contact between the die and the restraining fixture, thereby allowing the die to be removed from a first workstation and moved to a second selected workstation.

Student nurses are involved in caring for patients who are actively dying or who have been told they have a terminal illness and are faced with the process of dying. Students encounter these patients in hospitals, nursing homes, at home or in hospice care settings. According to Robinson (2004), "nurses are the healthcare providers that are most…

Due to the fact that tooling costs make up to 30% of total costs of the final forged part, the tool life is always one main research topic in closed-die forging [1]. To improve the wear resistance of forging dies, many methods like nitriding and deposition of ceramic layers have been used. However, all these methods will lose its effect after a certain time, then tool repair or exchange is needed, which requires additional time and costs. A new method, which applies an inexpensive and changeable sheet metal on the forging die to protect it from abrasive wear, was firstly proposed in [2]. According to the first investigation, the die cover is effective for decreasing thermal and mechanical loads, but there are still several challenges to overcome in this concept, like wrinkling and thinning of the die cover. Therefore, an experimental study using different geometries and die cover materials is presented within this work. The results indicate the existence of feasible application cases of this concept, since conditions are found under which a die cover made of 22MnB5 still keeps its original shape even after 7 forging cycles.

In recent years, there has been a great deal of philosophical discussion about the alleged moral right to die. If there is such a moral right, then it would seem to imply a moral duty of others to not interfere with the exercise of the right. And this might have important implications for public policy insofar as public policy ought to track what is morally right. But is there a moral duty to die? If so, under what conditions, if any, ought one to have such a duty, and why? In this paper, I distinguish between different moral grounds for the putative moral duty to die: deontological, intuitionist, and contractarian. Subsequently, I argue in support of Paul Menzel's theory of health care distribution. More precisely, I concur with his claim that there is a moral duty to die inexpensively in health care contexts. Then I provide and defend a philosophical analysis of the conditions in which such a duty could exist.

Lord Joffe's Patient (Assisted Dying) Bill (see Bulletin 187) had its Second Reading on 6 June. The debate was lively, informed and inevitably somewhat polarised. However, some common themes emerged and are outlined below.

The research program investigates the casting characteristics of selected aluminum die casting alloys. Specifically, the alloys' tendencies towards die soldering and sludge formation, and the alloys' fluidity and machinability are evaluated. It was found that: When the Fe and Mn contents of the alloy are low; caution has to be taken against possible die soldering. When the alloy has a high sludge factor, particularly a high level of Fe, measures must be taken to prevent the formation of large hardspots. For this kind of alloy, the Fe content should be kept at its lowest allowable level and the Mn content should be at its highest possible level. If there are problems in die filling, measures other than changing the alloy chemistry need to be considered first. In terms of alloy chemistry, the elements that form high temperature compounds must be kept at their lowest allowable levels. The alloys should not have machining problems when appropriate machining techniques and machining parameters are used.

The research which was directed toward finding an improved die material is reported. Wetting experiments were conducted with various materials to determine their compatibility with silicon. Work has also continued toward the development of quartz as a die material as new techniques have provided more optimistic results than observed in the past. As a result of the thermal modification previously described, improvements in growth stability have contributed to an increase in ribbon quality.

This image of the nebula NGC 3582, which was captured by the Wide Field Imager on the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile, shows giant loops of gas bearing a striking resemblance to solar prominences. These loops are thought to have been ejected by dying stars, but new stars are also being born within this stellar nursery. These energetic youngsters emit intense ultraviolet radiation that makes the gas in the nebula glow, producing the fiery display shown here. NGC 3582 is part of a large star-forming region in the Milky Way, called RCW 57. It lies close to the central plane of the Milky Way in the southern constellation of Carina (The Keel of Jason's ship, the Argo). John Herschel first saw this complex region of glowing gas and dark dust clouds in 1834, during his stay in South Africa. Some of the stars forming in regions like NGC 3582 are much heavier than the Sun. These monster stars emit energy at prodigious rates and have very short lives that end in explosions as supernovae. The material ejected from these dramatic events creates bubbles in the surrounding gas and dust. This is the probable cause of the loops visible in this picture. This image was taken through multiple filters. From the Wide Field Imager, data taken through a red filter are shown in green and red, and data taken through a filter that isolates the red glow characteristic of hydrogen are also shown in red. Additional infrared data from the Digitized Sky Survey are shown in blue. The image was processed by ESO using the observational data identified by Joe DePasquale, from the United States [1], who participated in ESO's Hidden Treasures 2010 astrophotography competition [2]. The competition was organised by ESO in October-November 2010, for everyone who enjoys making beautiful images of the night sky using astronomical data obtained using professional telescopes. Notes [1] Joe searched through ESO's archive and identified datasets that he used to compose his

The spiritual agenda for the dying presumes a willingness to face the reality of imminent death. It also depends on support from caregivers who will encourage whatever agency is possible for the one who is dying. The spiritual practices that will enhance agency for the dying include remembering, thanking, relinquishing, waiting, and trusting. The absence of abandonment and the dependable presence of caregivers are essential to create communities and relationships in which hope can be found and sustained.

The pressure die casting process is cyclic and the temperature levels in the die are principally dictated by the total energy received from the casting. It is thus extremely important that any solidification model for the casting is able to predict energy extraction rates to a high degree of accuracy. In this paper an efficient three dimensional hybrid thermal model for the pressure die casting process is described. The finite element method (FEM) is used for modelling heat transfer in the casting, coupled to a boundary element (BE) model for the die. The FEM can efficiently account for the non-linearity introduced by the release of latent heat on solidification, whereas the BEM is ideally suited for modelling linear heat conduction in the die, as surface temperatures are of principal importance. The FE formulation for the casting is based on a control volume capacitance method, which is shown to provide high accuracy and stability. This method is similar to the apparent and effective heat capacitance methods, which are popular approaches used where conduction predominates over other heat transfer mechanisms. These methods involve the specification of element or nodal capacitances to accommodate for the release of latent heat. Unfortunately they suffer from a major drawback in that energy is not correctly transported through elements and so providing a source of inaccuracy. The control volume capacitance method allows for the transport of mass arising from volumetric shrinkage and ensures that energy is correctly transported. The BE model caters for surface phenomena such as boiling in the cooling channels, which is important, as this effectively controls the manner in which energy is extracted. The die temperature is decomposed into two components, one a steady-state part and the other a time-dependent perturbation. This approach enables the transient die temperatures to be calculated in an efficient way, since only die surfaces close to the die cavity are

How may communities be mobilised to help someone dying at home? This conceptual article outlines the thinking behind an innovative compassionate community project being developed at Weston-super-Mare, UK. In this project, a health professional mentors the dying person and their carer to identify and match: (a) the tasks that need to be done and (b) the members of their social network who might help with these tasks. Network members may subsequently join a local volunteer force to assist others who are network poor. Performing practical tasks may be more acceptable to some family, friends and neighbours than having to engage in a conversation about dying, and provides a familiarity with dying that is often lacking in modern societies, so in this model, behavioural change precedes attitudinal change. The scheme rejects a service delivery model of care in favour of a community development model, but differs from community development schemes in which the mentor is a volunteer rather than a health professional, and also from those approaches that strive to build community capacity before any one individual dying person is helped. The pros and cons of each approach are discussed. There is a need for evaluation of this and similar schemes, and for basic research into naturally occurring resource mobilisation at the end of life.

There are a number of arguments that purport to show, in general terms, that there is no difference between killing and letting die. These are used to justify active euthanasia on the basis of the reasons given for allowing patients to die. I argue that the general and abstract arguments fail to take account of the complex and particular situations which are found in the care of those with terminal illness. When in such situations, there are perceptions and intuitions available that do not easily find propositional form but lead most of those whose practice is in the care of the dying to resist active euthanasia. I make a plea for their intuitions to be heeded above the sterile voice of abstract premises and arguments by examining the completeness of the outline form of the pro-euthanasia argument. In doing so, I make use of Nussbaum's discussion of moral perception and general claims to be found in the literature of moral particularism.

Over the past two decades, the Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) tools have emerged as one of the most important engineering tools in various industries, due to its flexibility and accuracy in prediction. Nowadays, CAE tools are widely used in the sheet metal forming industry to predict the forming feasibility of a wide variety of complex components, ranging from aerospace and automotive components to household products. As the demand of CAE based formability accelerates, the need for a robust and streamlined die face engineering tool becomes more crucial, especially in the early stage when the tooling layout is not available, but a product design decision must be made. Ability to generate blank, binder and addendum surfaces with an appropriate layout of Drawbead, Punch Opening Line, Trim Line are the primary features and functions of a CAE based die face engineering tool. Once the die face layout is ready, a formability study should be followed to verify the die face layout is adequate to produce a formable part. If successful, the established die face surface should be exported back to the CAD/CAM environment to speed up the tooling and manufacturing design process with confidence that this particular part is formable with this given die face. With a CAE tool as described above, the tool & die industry will be greatly impacted as the processes will enable the bypass of hardware try-out and shorten the overall vehicle production timing. The trend has shown that OEMs and first tiers will source to low cost producers in the world which will have a negative impact to the traditional tool & die makers in the developed countries. CAE based tool as described should be adopted, along with many other solutions, in order to maintain efficiency of producing high quality product and meeting time-to-market requirements. This paper will describe how a CAE based die face engineering (DFE) tool could be further developed to enable the traditional tool & die makers to meet the

The effect of the strength ratio extracted from an Archard model for wear is used to describe the wear rates expected in hot forging dies. In the current study, the strength ratio is the strength of the hot forging die to the strength of the work piece. Three hot forging die steels are evaluated. The three die steels are FX, 2714, and WF. To determine the strength of the forging die, a continuous function has been developed that describes the yield strength of three die steels for temperatures from 600 to 700 °C and for times up to 20 h (i.e., tempering times of up to 20 h). The work piece material is assumed to be AISI 1045. Based on the analysis, the wear resistance of WF should be superior and FX should be slightly better than 2714. Decreasing the forging temperature increases the strength ratio, because the strength of the die surface increases faster than the flow strength of AISI 1045. The increase in the strength ratio indicates a decrease in the expected wear rate.

The radial stress profile in a cylindrical die during compaction of titanium (Ti) powder was investigated by experiments. The concept of an instrumented die was extended to design an enhanced instrumented die. Custom-made strain gage pins were used to measure the radial stress during powder compaction. The test fixture was designed to simulate double-action pressing. The measured die stress profile for Ti powder was compared with that for a commercially available iron (Fe) powder. The stress history shows that an appreciable residual stress remains in the die in the radial direction after the axial compaction stress is removed from the powder. Furthermore, the radial stress profile in the die, while under maximum axial compaction stress, is more uniform across the height of the Fe compact than that of the Ti compact. In addition, the residual stress profile in the die in the radial direction reduces symmetrically in both directions beyond the height of the compact for both powders. Finally, the Ti powder shows a significantly higher frictional coefficient at the maximum axial compaction stress, and consequently a higher maximum axial ejection stress than the Fe powder.

Silicosis cases which had been notified by doctors and confirmed after investigations were followed up by the Industrial Health Division. Up to August 1981, a total of 313 persons were confirmed as having the disease. Of these, 59 had died. The majority of these 59 persons had had their silica exposure in the granite quarries. 13 had been exposed to "rubber powder" which contained a high percentage of free silica. 52 of those who died were male, and their average age at death was 60.87 years. This did not appear to be significantly shorter than their life expectancy of 65.1 years. But the average age of death for the 7 women was 58.86 years, which was much shorter than their life expectancy of 70 years. Many of the men died from causes unrelated to silicosis. But 6 of the 7 women had progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) and they apparently died of the disease or complications arising from it.

By the time students reach the middle years they have experienced many chance activities based on dice. Common among these are rolling one die to explore the relationship of frequency and theoretical probability, and rolling two dice and summing the outcomes to consider their probabilities. Although dice may be considered overused by some, the…

Each unit in this curriculum guide on stamping die making contains an introduction, objectives, materials required, lessons, space for notes, figures, and diagrams. There are 29 units in this guide, dealing with the following topics: EZ-MILL programming; EZ-MILL BATT; print of punch and EZ-MILL part programming; download to Computer Numerical…

This article illustrates various aspects of terminal care, and shows that rules and norms for such care do not exist today. The authors advocate the formulation of an aim for humane treatment of dying patients, and its application in a manner appropriate to Swedish medical concepts and Swedish conditions. (Author)

Concentration of carbide impurities in silicon ribbon is reduced by growing crystalline ribbon with die one wall higher than other. Height difference controls shape of meniscus at liquid/crystal interface and concentrates silicon carbide impurity near one of broad faces. Opposite face is left with above-average purity. Significantly improves efficiency of solar cells made from ribbon.

Silicon beryllium oxynitride (SiBON) is a promising candidate material for manufacture of shaping dies used in fabricating ribbons or sheets of silicon. It is extremely stable, resists thermal shock, and has excellent resistance to molten silicon. SiBON is a solid solution of beryllium silicate in beta-silicon nitride.

Describes the eight layers in Thomas Black Bull's ("When the Legends Die") journey to spiritual rebirth and stresses that students can easily identify these layers and can thereby achieve a clearer understanding of the relationship between structure and meaning in fiction. (CRH)

The focus of this monograph is on three areas of counseling with older clients: career counseling, retirement counseling, and counseling regarding death and dying. The portion on career counseling includes reasons older persons change careers, obstacles they are likely to face when seeking employment, myths surrounding the employability of older…

This report reflects the experience of accompanying HIV-infected women during the process of dying using their curriculi vitae as examples of different modes of dealing with fatal illness. The text contains paintings of past and contemporary art concerning death and eros and poetry as a form of therapy.

The current study of death and dying is an example of constant change and development in academic disciplines. While the discussion of death in time of crisis is hard, if not impossible, youthful undergraduates find this topic to be of considerable interest. For them, a course can be organized effectively as a small and intimate seminar, which…

Passages from three selected samples of textbooks are used to show what requirements are made of textbooks in the social sciences. Some hints are given to the teacher for converting reading suggestions into instructional material. Short texts from Karl Marx are also suggested. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

It was decided to build the Mg-C battery on the principle of the Voltaic pile . Such a battery was fabri- cated by the TVA in which discs with a 400...wakeless torpedo was developed during the First World War by the Siemens Company. There it was their goal initially to produce a remote-controlled torpedo...3 air bottles of 5 1 each (200 atm) 7. Additional air container 8. Removable vertical fins 2 .......................... ....... ;, , At first it was

A comparison of four college-level elementary German textbooks reveals significant differences in the numbers of vocabulary entries in each textbook. Further comparison of three of the textbooks with the basic German vocabulary lists provided in "Kontaktschwelle Deutsch als Fremdsprache" and in "Das Zertificat Deutsch als Fremdsprache" reveal in…

Dying is an event beyond our comprehension, an experience that can only be imagined. Patients with cancer have a gift denied many others: some time to prepare for the approaching end of life. This time can be used to bring old conflicts to a close, to say goodbye and seek forgiveness from others, to express love and gratitude for the gifts of a life. Physicians can help patients by being aware of the spiritual dimensions to life that many patients have. In major religious traditions, death is accepted as the natural end of the gift of life and as a point of transition to another, yet unknown, existence. For many patients, it is not death that is feared, but abandonment. The physician's awareness of the spiritual needs of patients can make care of the dying more rewarding and fulfilling for all concerned. PMID:1519377

In an embodiment, an apparatus includes: a plurality of islands configured on a semiconductor die, each of the plurality of islands having a plurality of cores; and a plurality of network switches configured on the semiconductor die and each associated with one of the plurality of islands, where each network switch includes a plurality of output ports, a first set of the output ports are each to couple to the associated network switch of an island via a point-to-point interconnect and a second set of the output ports are each to couple to the associated network switches of a plurality of islands via a point-to-multipoint interconnect. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Richard Huxtable has recently argued that while assisted dying has been both repeatedly condemned and commended, a compromise resolution is possible. Following critique of other purported solutions, he argues for a new legal offence of "compassionate killing" as a plausible compromise between supporters and opponents of legalised assisted dying, because it offers something of significance to both sides. However, it turns out that "compassionate killing" would leave both sides with insufficient net benefit for the proposal to qualify as a compromise between them. By analogy with another apparently intractable bioethical debate, concerning destructive embryo research, this column rejects Huxtable's solution as another "Clayton's compromise". True compromise is not possible in bioethical debates involving divisions over deeply held values and world views. Resolving such debates inevitably involves the substitution of one dominant world view with another.

... 164254.html Fewer Patients Die During Hospital Inspection Weeks: Study Slight differences in death rates were possibly ... likely to die if they are treated during weeks that inspectors are checking on the staff, a ...

Die drool phenomenon is defined as unwanted spontaneous accumulation of extruded polymer melt on open faces of extrusion die during extrusion process. Such accumulated material builds up on the die exit and frequently or continually sticks onto the extruded product and thus damages it. Since die drool appears, extrusion process must be shut down and die exit must be manually cleaned which is time and money consuming. Although die drool is complex phenomenon and its formation mechanism is not fully understood yet, variety of proposed explanations of its formation mechanism and also many ways to its elimination can be found in open literature. Our review presents in historical order breakthrough works in the field of die drool research, shows many ways to suppress it, introduces methods for its quantitative evaluation and composition analysis and summarizes theories of die drool formation mechanism which can be helpful for extrusion experts.

Denying the value of death but accepting its reality, the author points to dying, not death, as the problematic phenomenon with which a pragmatist thanatology must deal. It is suggested that dying contains opportunities for growth--for the dying as well as for their surviving friends and relatives. (Author)

Listening to the dying poses special challenges. This paper proposes a contingency framework for describing and assessing various circumstances when listening to the dying. It identifies current approaches to listening, applies the contingency framework toward effectively listening to the dying, and proposes a new type of listening called…

Die and punch set forms convolutions in thin dished metal diaphragm without stretching the metal too thin at sharp curvatures. The die corresponds to the metal shape to be formed, and the punch consists of elements that progressively slide against one another under the restraint of a compressed-air cushion to mate with the die.

... Week of Healthy Breakfasts Shyness 5 Ways to Cope When a Loved One Dies KidsHealth > For Teens > 5 Ways to Cope When a Loved One Dies Print A A ... Here are 5 ideas that might help you cope when someone you love has died: Join in ...

... 25 Indians 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Marking and ownership of dies. 304.2 Section 304.2 Indians INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS BOARD, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NAVAJO, PUEBLO, AND HOPI SILVER, USE OF GOVERNMENT MARK § 304.2 Marking and ownership of dies. All dies used to mark silver will be provided by...

... 25 Indians 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Marking and ownership of dies. 304.2 Section 304.2 Indians INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS BOARD, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NAVAJO, PUEBLO, AND HOPI SILVER, USE OF GOVERNMENT MARK § 304.2 Marking and ownership of dies. All dies used to mark silver will be provided by...

... 25 Indians 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Marking and ownership of dies. 304.2 Section 304.2 Indians INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS BOARD, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NAVAJO, PUEBLO, AND HOPI SILVER, USE OF GOVERNMENT MARK § 304.2 Marking and ownership of dies. All dies used to mark silver will be provided by...

... 25 Indians 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Marking and ownership of dies. 304.2 Section 304.2 Indians INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS BOARD, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NAVAJO, PUEBLO, AND HOPI SILVER, USE OF GOVERNMENT MARK § 304.2 Marking and ownership of dies. All dies used to mark silver will be provided by...

Studies have documented a link between gun ownership and suicide, but little is known about characteristics of those most likely to use a gun in a suicide attempt rather than alternative methods. We examined which factors differentiate suicide decedents who died using a gun from those who died by other methods. We further examined whether such findings are consistent within the subcomponent of our larger sample comprised entirely of gun owning suicide decedents. Data reflect 267 suicide decedents, with data provided by individuals who identified as having lost someone to suicide (loss survivors). Within the full sample, a higher proportion of gun-owning and male suicide decedents died by firearm. Further, individuals who had previously discussed suicide or engaged in one or more non-lethal suicide attempts were less likely to die by suicide using a gun. Within the subsample of gun owning suicide decedents, a greater proportion of decedents who stored guns at home and in unsecure locations died from self-inflected gunshot wounds. These findings add clarity to the relationship between firearm ownership and death by suicide at the individual level. Furthermore, these findings are consistent with the notion that means safety implementation may represent a vital suicide prevention tool.

The main objective of this research program was to design and develop an optimal coating system that extends die life by minimizing premature die failure. In high-pressure aluminum die-casting, the die, core pins and inserts must withstand severe processing conditions. Many of the dies and tools in the industry are being coated to improve wear-resistance and decrease down-time for maintenance. However, thermal fatigue in metal itself can still be a major problem, especially since it often leads to catastrophic failure (i.e. die breakage) as opposed to a wear-based failure (parts begin to go out of tolerance). Tooling costs remain the largest portion of production costs for many of these parts, so the ability prevent catastrophic failures would be transformative for the manufacturing industry.The technology offers energy savings through reduced energy use in the die casting process from several factors, including increased life of the tools and dies, reuse of the dies and die components, reduction/elimination of lubricants, and reduced machine down time, and reduction of Al solder sticking on the die. The use of the optimized die coating system will also reduce environmental wastes and scrap parts. Current (2012) annual energy saving estimates, based on initial dissemination to the casting industry in 2010 and market penetration of 80% by 2020, is 3.1 trillion BTU's/year. The average annual estimate of CO2 reduction per year through 2020 is 0.63 Million Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent (MM TCE).

In order to improve assembly accuracy, automotive body panels have to be fabricated with higher dimensional and surface quality requirements, therefore the die faces should be designed more accurately to consider more relevant factors. In the presented study, we proposed algorithms to realize the following functions: through forming process simulation, the thinning distribution on the deformed blank was extracted as first kind of compensation; through die structural CAE analysis which automatically mapped the boundary contact forces onto the die surfaces from process simulation results, the die deflection was calculated as second kind of compensation. These two quantitative contributions were added together to compensate the die face. The proposed methodologies were programmed and integrated with LS-Dyna and HyperWorks, and also integrated with Autoform and CATIA linear CAE functionalities separately. In addition, a software toolkit to calculate the contacting ratio was also developed to evaluate the effectiveness of die face compensation. The second toolkit developed was verified by an automotive structural part forming die design, through die compensation and geometric optimization, the predicted contact ratio between the die face and formed blank was improved a lot, and the first toolkit was testified by a fender drawing die design. It shows that the die face compensation can be realized and integrated seamlessly between CAD model, process simulation model and die structural CAE model with the help of data I/O tools developed by the authors.

The invention comprises an apparatus for die forming metal sheets and extrusions which utilizes die blocks of low melting temperature metallic material. The die blocks are formed in an adjustable mold which comprises a mold box, a pivotable dam within the mold box and blocking means for locking the pivotable dam member in a desired angular position. Once a desired die block angle is ascertained for a particular joggle, the pivotable member of the mold box is adjusted to produce the desired angle in the die casting made in the mold box.

In metal stamping dies, by taking advantage of improved material flow by selectively warming the die, flat sections of the die can contribute to the flow of material throughout the workpiece. Local surface heating can be accomplished by placing a heating block in the die. Distribution of heating at the flat lower train central regions outside of the bend region allows a softer flow at a lower stress to enable material flow into the thinner, higher strain areas at the bend/s. The heating block is inserted into the die and is powered by a power supply.

There is unanimity among states to protect the continuation of life of the individual as a safeguard against their collective extinction. The right to life is accordingly guaranteed but its antithesis, the right to die is the subject of an unending debate. The controversy over the right to die is deepened by rapid advances in medicine, creating the capability for prolongation of life beyond the span which one's natural strength can endure. Ghana's supreme law explicitly guarantees the right to life but remains ambiguous on right to die, particularly euthanasia and assisted dying. Thus, some of the other rights, such as the right to dignity and not to be tortured, can creatively be exploited to justify some instances of euthanasia. Ghana's criminal code largely proscribes euthanasia. Notwithstanding, proscription of euthanasia and assisted dying by the law, in Ghana's empirical work undertaken in some of the communities in Ghana, suggests that euthanasia is quietly practisedin health facilities and private homes, especially in the rural areas. Contrary to the popular reasons assigned in the literature of the Western world, with respect to the practice or quest for legalization of euthanasia as being a necessity for providing relief from pain or hopeless quality of life, empirical data from social and anthropological studies conducted in Ghana reveal that poverty is the motivation for informal euthanasia practice in Ghana rather than genuine desire on part of patients to die or their relatives to see to their accelerated death. Apart from poverty, traditional cultural values of African societies consider non-natural death as a taboo and ignominy to the victim and his family. Thus, any move by the government to legalize euthanasia will need to be informed by widely held consultations and a possible referendum; otherwise the law may be just a mere transplant of Western models of legislation on euthanasia without reflecting the ethos of the African people.

Within developed nations, there is increasing public debate about and apparent endorsement of the appropriateness of euthanasia as an autonomous choice to die in the face of intolerable suffering. Surveys report socio-demographic differences in rates of acceptance of euthanasia, but there is little in-depth analysis of how euthanasia is understood and positioned within the social and moral lives of individuals, particularly those who might be considered suitable candidates-for example, terminally-ill cancer patients. During discussions with 28 such patients in Australia regarding medical decisions at the end of life, euthanasia was raised by 13 patients, with the others specifically asked about it. Twenty-four patients spoke positively of euthanasia, 19 of these voicing some concerns. None identified euthanasia as a currently favoured option. Four were completely against it. Endorsement for euthanasia was in the context of a hypothetical future or for a hypothetical other person, or temporally associated with acute pain. Arguments supporting euthanasia framed the issue as a matter of freedom of choice, as preserving dignity in death, and as curbing intolerable pain and suffering, both of the patient and of those around them. A common analogy featured was that of euthanising a dog. These arguments were typically presented as self-evident justification for euthanasia, construed as an appropriate choice to die, with opposers positioned as morally inferior or ignorant. The difficulties of ensuring 'choice' and the moral connotations of 'choosing to die,' however, worked to problematise the appropriateness of euthanising specific individuals. We recommend further empirical investigation of the moral and social meanings associated with euthanasia.

On October 5, 2015, Governor Jerry Brown approved bill ABX2 15, the End of Life Option Act, making California the fifth state in the country to allow physician-assisted dying. The law was modeled after Oregon's 1997 Death with Dignity Act. When the legislative special session ended on March 10, 2016, California health care providers had only ninety days to respond to the state mandate before the law would take effect, on June 9, 2016. Experience with the law so far suggests several challenges with implementation.

Adults in this exploratory study usually recalled that their childhood imaginary companions faded away or were dismissed as other options for social interaction became more appealing. However, eight participants reported that their IC had died. Analysis of these deaths offers a glimpse of the child's talent for transitional thought processes that navigate between the emerging constraints of logic and the continuing appeal of fantasy. It is suggested that young children are testing the limits and possibilities of what it means to be "real" at the same time they are trying to puzzle out "alive" and "dead."

This paper focuses on developing a suitable objective function for the inverse form of profile extrusion die design. First, the problem is motivated by introducing the extrusion die design process. After describing how Computer Aided Engineering enhances the traditional design process, a set of applicable objective functions is introduced. The main criteria for identifying the most suitable are computational applicability, robustness and smoothness of the functional. After discussing the results of several simulations, an objective function is proposed for the implementation in an existing optimization framework utilizing parameter-based optimization.

This report summarizes computer modeling work that was designed to help understand how the die casting die and machine contribute to parting plane separation during operation. Techniques developed in earlier research (8) were applied to complete a large computational experiment that systematically explored the relationship between the stiffness of the machine platens and key dimensional and structural variables (platen area covered, die thickness, platen thickness, thickness of insert and the location of the die with respect to the platen) describing the die/machine system. The results consistently show that there are many significant interactions among the variables and it is the interactions, more than the individual variables themselves, which determine the performance of the machine/die system. That said, the results consistently show that it is the stiffness of the machine platens that has the largest single impact on die separation.

A die/target is disclosed for consolidation of a powder, especially an atomized rapidly solidified metal powder, to produce monoliths by the dynamic action of a shock wave, especially a shock wave produced by the detonation of an explosive charge. The die/target comprises a rectangular metal block having a square primary surface with four rectangular mold cavities formed therein to receive the powder. The cavities are located away from the geometrical center of the primary surface and are distributed around such center while also being located away from the geometrical diagonals of the primary surface to reduce the action of reflected waves so as to avoid tensile cracking of the monoliths. The primary surface is covered by a powder retention plate which is engaged by a flyer plate to transmit the shock wave to the primary surface and the powder. Spawl plates are adhesively mounted on other surfaces of the block to act as momentum traps so as to reduce reflected waves in the block. 4 figs.

A die/target is disclosed for consolidation of a powder, especially an atomized rapidly solidified metal powder, to produce monoliths by the dynamic action of a shock wave, especially a shock wave produced by the detonation of an explosive charge. The die/target comprises a rectangular metal block having a square primary surface with four rectangular mold cavities formed therein to receive the powder. The cavities are located away from the geometrical center of the primary surface and are distributed around such center while also being located away from the geometrical diagonals of the primary surface to reduce the action of reflected waves so as to avoid tensile cracking of the monoliths. The primary surface is covered by a powder retention plate which is engaged by a flyer plate to transmit the shock wave to the primary surface and the powder. Spawl plates are adhesively mounted on other surfaces of the block to act as momentum traps so as to reduce reflected waves in the block.

This overview of death and dying focuses on the dying child and surviving family members. Children's concepts of death at different developmental stages are reviewed. These range from an inability to distinguish death from other forms of separation prior to age 3, through partial concepts of death until, by age 10 to 15 years, children are able to conceptualize death as universal, inevitable and final. The importance of adults assisting in the child's growing comprehension of death is stressed. The stages of grief and mourning, as outlined by Kubler-Ross, are reviewed from the perspective of the child and family: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Recognition is given to the variations in coping styles among different family members. The special circumstances related to the death of an infant and the impact of the death of a child on the surviving siblings are discussed. Specific helpful interventions to assist families in coping with mourning are described. The death of a child remains one of the most painful and difficult events for a family and its physician to accept.

Describing the behaviors of terminally ill patients, their families and those charged with their care has received considerable attention during the past decade. This study of comprehensive cancer treatment and research facility indicates that the prevailing theory is limited to explanation at the intra-psychic level. In her work with hundreds of terminal cases, Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross found that patients typically progress through five stages: 1) denial, 2) anger, 3) bargaining, 4) depression, and 5) acceptance. She concludes that the majority of her patients die in a stage of acceptance--a state of equanimity. Recently, scholars have claimed that this five stage scheme has limited applicability and may in fact contribute to the formalization of a dying person's behavior. This preliminary report proposes that the stage theory, if it has any descriptive validity, becomes meaningful only when used to describe behaviors occurring among patients, families, and medical practitioners. A plausible explanation of these behaviors is accomplished by examination of communication patterns containing the structure of paradox or double bind. Patients are forced to perceive realities about their physical conditions not as they appear to them, but as they are defined by those in their environment. This paper explores these communication patterns in relation to the structure of social relationships and the specific contents of messages being transmitted and received.

The Right to Die is a debatable issue and some basic notions need to be clarified to discuss it. Death needs to be recognized as part of human life. The goal of medicine is to avoid pain and alleviate suffering, to prevent premature death and when this is not possible, to let it occur peacefully. The concept of euthanasia is unclear, which increases the confusion on end-of-life topics. The term euthanasia should be used only when referring to medical acts performed to produce the patient's death, with the intention of terminating his/her suffering. It is what is usually called "active" euthanasia, which can be voluntary or involuntary. It is essential to understand the difference between producing and allowing death. This will permit timely decisions about limiting or withdrawing treatments, that can be disproportionate or that are only prolonging suffering. Limiting treatments does not mean to abandon the patient but rather to redefine his needs, such as pain treatment, prevention of complications, and relief of suffering. The ethic rationale for these decisions is the respect to the dignity of human life, and the estimation of proportionality or futility of each treatment. The physician's duty with the patient at the end of his life is to assist him in dying according to his values and to minimize his distress.

Based in an unfortunate tradition that stretches back in time to Watson's behaviorism and Freud's psychoanalysis, psychology has tended to reject and to pathologize matters of the spirit. In the past 30 years, however, with the advent of what has been termed the cognitive revolution, psychology has greatly expanded the scope of its subject matter. Psychologists and thanatologists have begun to unravel the cognitive underpinnings of our assumptive world and the transformation of those underpinnings in times of crisis and stress. This article examines the cognitive basis of the spiritual experience and the use of cognitive assimilation, accommodation strategies during the process of mourning the death of a loved one, as well as during the process of living our own dying. Of special importance to mental health professionals and clergy, new research on dying, mourning, and spirituality suggests that the specific ways in which people rediscover meaning--such as belief in traditional religious doctrine, the afterlife, reincarnation, philanthropy, or a spiritual order to the universe--may be less important than the process itself. In other words, in the midst of dealing with profound loss in our lives, the ability to reascribe meaning to a changed world through spiritual transformation, religious conversion, or existential change may be more significant than the specific content by which that need is filled.

The objective of this work was to develop and test die casting design evaluation techniques based on the visualization of geometric data that is related to potential defects or problems. Specifically, thickness information is used to provide insight into potential thermal problems in the part and die. Distance from the gate and a special type of animation of the fill pattern is used to provide an assessment of gate, vent and overflow locations. Techniques have been developed to convert part design information in the form of STL files to a volume-based representation called a voxel model. The use of STL files makes the process CAD system independent. Once in voxel form, methods that were developed in this work are used to identify thick regions in the part, thin regions in the part and/or die, distance from user specified entry locations (gates), and the qualitative depiction of the fill pattern. The methods were tested with a prototype implementation on the UNIX platform. The results of comparisons with numerical simulation and field reported defects were surprisingly good. The fill-related methods were also compared against short-shots and a water analog study using high speed video. The report contains the results of the testing plus detailed background material on the construction of voxel models, the methods used for displaying results, and the computational geometric reasoning methods used to create die casting-related information from the voxel model for display to the user.

International euthanasia debates focussing on "autonomous dying" in the 1980s corresponded with a general change in the health-care system: availability of new technical means with an analogous medical-ethic understanding of human suffering and dying. This change is part of a general development from "passive health consumption" to "active prevention" in our society.

Society is failing to meet the obligation it has to its dying members. Persons with terminal illnesses suffer isolation and neglect in hospitals, receive overzealous treatment by physicians, and are kept in ignorance of their situation by families and medical personnel. Evidence for these statements has come from observers of the medical care system and from dying patients themselves (Kübler-Ross, 1969; Reynolds and Kalish, 1974; Sudnow, 1967); In the nineteenth century it was common for persons to die in the familiar environs of their homes, surrounded by grieving families from whom they parted in a meaningful manner (Blauner, 1966). Dying persons of today no longer fill a well-defined social role. Instead, the distinction between the roles of sick and dying persons has been lost and, in the resulting confusion, the care of dying people has suffered. The purpose of this article is to clarify the distinction between the dying and sick roles, identify the signs of existing role confusion, suggest ways in which this confusion may be corrected, and show how reestablishment of the dying role can result in improved care of dying people. The important part physicians play in defining sick and dying roles will be emphasized.

SOCIETY is failing to meet the obligation it has to its dying members. Persons with terminal illnesses suffer isolation and neglect in hospitals, receive overzealous treatment by physicians, and are kept in ignorance of their situation by families and medical personnel. Evidence for these statements has come from observers of the medical care system and from dying patients themselves (Kübler-Ross, 1969; Reynolds and Kalish, 1974; Sudnow, 1967). In the nineteenth century it was common for persons to die in the familiar environs of their homes, surrounded by grieving families from whom they parted in a meaningful manner (Blauner, 1966). Dying persons of today no longer fill a well-defined social role. Instead, the distinction between the roles of sick and dying persons has been lost and, in the resulting confusion, the care of dying people has suffered. The purpose of this article is to clarify the distinction between the dying and sick roles, identify the signs of existing role confusion, suggest ways in which this confusion may be corrected, and show how reestablishment of the dying role can result in improved care of dying people. The important part physicians play in defining sick and dying roles will be emphasized.

Four subprojects were completed: development and evaluation of die coatings, accelerated die life characterization of die materials, evaluation of fluid flow and solidification modeling programs, selection and characterization of Al-based die casting alloys, and influence of die materials and coatings on die casting quality.

This review embarks upon a cell death journey from the discovery of apoptosis and necrosis through to the coalescence of these: necroptosis. The mechanisms of 2 emerging necrotic cell death pathways, pyroptosis and ferroptosis, will be explored before delving into apoptotic and necroptotic signaling cascades, highlighting the complex interplay between molecular players. The involvement of the ripoptosome, interferon signaling and DNA damage in necroptosis will be discussed briefly. The major focus is on necroptosis initiation by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and its cognate receptor TNFR1, caspase-independent RIP1/RIP3/MLKL necrosome activation and cell death propagation by damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) release. Finally, the implications of a complex cell death signaling network will be revealed in the context of cancer biology and therapy. The clinical contribution of the discovery of necroptosis as an unequivocally new way of dying is monumental and could drastically alter cancer therapy strategies in the future.

Using HeLa cells stably transfected with an HIV-LTR-CAT construct, we demonstrated a peak in CAT induction that occurs in viable (but not necessarily cell-division-competent) cells 24 h following exposure to some cell-killing agents. {gamma} rays were the only cell-killing agent which did not induce HIV transcription; this can be attributed to the fact that {gamma}-ray-induced apoptotic death requires functional p53, which is not present in HeLa cells. For all other agents, HIV-LTR induction was dose-dependent and correlated with the amount of cell killing that occurred in the culture. Doses which caused over 99% cell killing induced HIV-LTR transcription maximally, demonstrating that cells that will go on to die by 14 days are the cells expressing HIV-LTR-CAT.

Although suicide has traditionally carried a negative sanction in Western societies, this is now being challenged, and while there remains substantial public concern surrounding youth and elder suicide, there is a paradoxical push to relax the prohibition under certain circumstances. Central to the arguments behind this are the principles of respect for autonomy and the importance of rationality. It is argued here that the concepts of rationality and autonomy, while valuable, are not strong enough to substantiate a categorical "right to suicide" and that the concepts of "understandability" and "respect" are more useful and able to provide the foundation for responding to a person expressing a wish to die. Roman suicide, sometimes held as an example of "rational suicide", illustrates the effects of culture, tradition and values on the attitudes to, and the practice of, suicide. PMID:10635498

Estimates of the potential for recovery from severe brain damage have become more accurate as EEG and imaging techniques evolve. When all modern electrical criteria for brain death are satisfied, useful recovery is probably impossible. Many patients who have no reasonable chance of returning to a cognitive, sapient, or useful state may be nurtured throughout a prolonged final illness primarily because of brain waves that fluctuate in the 2- to 5-microV range. The incidence of such protracted dying is unknown. We illustrate diffuse low-amplitude wave forms and regional fragments recorded from a 27-year-old woman maintained on a respirator for six months after loss of brain-stem reflexes. Considering the limited noise-signal ratio of modern equipment, popular EEG criteria for death may be prematurely rigid, prolonging death in tragic circumstances.

This study examines differences in death and dying anxiety between bereaved and nonbereaved elderly Israeli parents, as well as correlates of these factors among bereaved parents. A total of 97 parents (49 bereaved, 48 nonbereaved) completed measures of death and dying anxiety and religiosity. Bereaved parents reported significantly higher dying anxiety scores than nonbereaved parents, but there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in death anxiety. Religiosity was unrelated to death and dying anxiety. Dying anxiety was higher among bereaved mothers than bereaved fathers. Death and dying anxiety were not associated with the length of time since the loss of the child or the nature of the child's death. Results are discussed in light of the difficulties that bereaved parents experience after the loss of their child. Implications for theory, for health and welfare professionals, and for policy are suggested.

Abstract More than 20 years ago, even before voters in Oregon had enacted the first aid in dying (AID) statute in the United States, Timothy Quill and colleagues proposed clinical criteria AID. Their proposal was carefully considered and temperate, but there were little data on the practice of AID at the time. (With AID, a physician writes a prescription for life-ending medication for a terminally ill, mentally capacitated adult.) With the passage of time, a substantial body of data on AID has developed from the states of Oregon and Washington. For more than 17 years, physicians in Oregon have been authorized to provide a prescription for AID. Accordingly, we have updated the clinical criteria of Quill, et al., based on the many years of experience with AID. With more jurisdictions authorizing AID, it is critical that physicians can turn to reliable clinical criteria. As with any medical practice, AID must be provided in a safe and effective manner. Physicians need to know (1) how to respond to a patient's inquiry about AID, (2) how to assess patient decision making capacity, and (3) how to address a range of other issues that may arise. To ensure that physicians have the guidance they need, Compassion & Choices convened the Physician Aid-in-Dying Clinical Criteria Committee, in July 2012, to create clinical criteria for physicians who are willing to provide AID to patients who request it. The committee includes experts in medicine, law, bioethics, hospice, nursing, social work, and pharmacy. Using an iterative consensus process, the Committee drafted the criteria over a one-year period. PMID:26539979

From ground-based telescopes, the glowing gaseous debris surrounding dying, sun-like stars in a nearby galaxy, called the Large Magellanic Cloud, appear as small, shapeless dots of light. But through the 'eyes' of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, these bright dots take on a variety of shapes, from round- to pinwheel-shaped clouds of gas. Using Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, scientists probed the glowing gas surrounding 27 dying stars, called planetary nebulae, in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The observations represent the most detailed study of planetary nebulae outside the Milky Way. The six objects in the picture illustrate the assortment of planetary nebulae identified in the galaxy. SMP 16, 30, and 93 are examples of a bipolar nebula, twin lobes of gas projecting away from a dying star. SMP 10 has a pinwheel shape and is known as a 'point-symmetric' nebula. SMP 4 has an elliptical appearance, and SMP 27, consisting of four lobes of gas, is called a 'quadrupolar' nebula. The lines point to the objects' locations in the Large Magellanic Cloud. A ground-based observatory snapped the picture of this galaxy. In the pictures of the planetary nebulae, color corresponds to temperature. Blue represents hotter regions of the nebulae and red, cooler. Scientists are probing these illuminated stellar relics in our neighboring galaxy because they are at relatively the same distance - about 168,000 light-years -- from Earth. Knowing the distance to these objects allows scientists to compare their shapes and sizes, and precisely determine the brightness of their central stars. For this reason, even though these glowing remains of dying stars are about 50 times farther away than the stunning planetary nebulae photographed in the Milky Way, they are of invaluable importance. By sampling this population, scientists noticed that the bipolar nebulae are richer in some heavier elements, such as neon, than those with a more spherical shape. At the dawn of the universe

Owing to the increasing core frequency and chip integration and the limited die dimension, the power densities in CPU chip have been increasing fastly. The high temperature on chip resulted by power densities threats the processor's performance and chip's reliability. This paper analyzed the thermal hotspots in die and their properties. A new architecture of function units in die - - hot units distributed architecture is suggested to cope with the problems of high power densities for future processor chip.

Integrated circuit chips and method of routing the interface pads from the face of the chip or die to one or more sidewall surfaces of the die. The interconnection is routed from the face of the die to one or more edges of the die, then routed over the edge of the die and onto the side surface. A new pad is then formed on the sidewall surface, which allows multiple die or chips to be stacked in a three-dimensional array, while enabling follow-on signal routing from the sidewall pads. The routing of the interconnects and formation of the sidewall pads can be carried out in an L-connect or L-shaped routing configuration, using a metalization process such as laser pantography.

This paper examines three Malawian proverbs about AIDS: "AIDS came for people", "Dying is dying, that's all" and "It's in the flour". Proverbs permit Malawians to discuss the otherwise taboo topic of AIDS because they offer a special register and perform a footing shift, a rhetorical manoeuvre that allows the speaker to attribute problematic speech to someone else. The proverbs under consideration convey a sense of powerless in the face of the AIDS epidemic, which is an indicator of the effects of structural violence on the everyday lives of most Malawians. Despite the aura of timeless tradition generally conveyed by proverbs, the author argues that individual Malawians are actually using AIDS proverbs to align themselves with the pursuit of gendered cultural projects, such as multiple concurrent partner sex and transactional sex, which are not traditional at all.

Differential Die-away Analysis (DDAA) is a very effective detection technique of special nuclear material (SNM). It is based on the detection of fast fission neutrons that decay with a time constant characteristic of the thermal neutron that created them. The presence of fast neutrons with this slow die-away time is a positive, sensitive indication of the presence of SNM in the inspected cargo. The thermal decay time of an inspected medium is not known before a DDAA measurement is taken. The choice of when, from the end of a neutron pulse, data are to be acquired must be taken conservatively. If the thermal decay time of an inspected medium can be determined, a priori, then a better estimate of the expected time of separation between the intrinsic detector signal and the fission signal can be achieved. With a better estimate of this time, the choice of times after the end of the pulse to perform signal integration can be optimized. A more optimal choice for this time will result in higher detection sensitivity. This paper describes a method of remotely assessing the thermal die-away properties of an interrogated cargo, and grossly characterizes the class of material being inspected in terms of neutron attenuation and moderation properties.

Coastal areas are among the world's most productive and highly affected ecosystems. Centuries of human activity on coastlines have led to overexploitation of marine predators, which in turn has led to cascading ecosystem-level effects. Human effects and approaches to mediating them, however, differ regionally due to gradients in biotic and abiotic factors. Salt marsh die-off on Cape Cod, Massachusetts (U.S.A.), triggered by a recreational-fishing-induced trophic cascade that has released herbivorous crabs from predator control, has been ongoing since 1976. Similar salt marsh die-offs have been reported in Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay (U.S.A.), but the driving mechanism of these die-offs has not been examined. We used field experiments to assess trophic interactions and historical reconstructions of 24 New England marshes to test the hypotheses that recreational fishing and predator depletion are a regional trigger of salt marsh die-off in New England and that die-offs in Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay are more recent than those on Cape Cod. Predator depletion was the general trigger of marsh die-off and explained differences in herbivorous crab abundance and the severity of die-off across regions. Die-offs in Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay are following a trajectory similar to die-off on Cape Cod, but are approximately 20 years behind those on Cape Cod. As a result, die-off currently affects 31.2% (SE 2.2) of low-marsh areas in Long Island Sound and Narragansett Bay, less than half the severity of die-off on Cape Cod. Our results contribute to the growing evidence that recreational fishing is an increasing threat to coastal ecosystems and that studying the effects of human activity at regional scales can provide insight into local effects and aid in early detection and potential remediation.

Die materials for aluminum die-casting need to be resistant to heat checking, and have good resistance to washout and to soldering in a fast flow of molten aluminum. To resist heat checking, die materials should have a low coefficient of thermal expansion, high thermal conductivity, high hot yield strength, good temper softening resistance, high creep strength, and adequate ductility. To resist the washout and soldering, die materials should have high hot hardness, good temper resistance, low solubility in molten aluminum and good oxidation resistance. It is difficult for one material to satisfy with all above requirements. In practice, H13 steel is the most popular material for aluminum die casting dies. While it is not an ideal choice, it is substantially less expensive to use than alternative materials. However, in very demanding applications, it is sometimes necessary to use alternative materials to ensure a reasonable die life. Copper-base, nickel-base alloys and superalloys, titanium-,molybdenum-, tungsten-base alloys, and to some extent yttrium and niobium alloys, have all been considered as potential materials for demanding die casting applications. Most of these alloys exhibit superior thermal fatigue resistance, but suffer from other shortcomings.

Potato early dying has not received the reputation of being a particularly devastating disease of potato. However, the interaction between the vascular fungus Verticillium dahliae and the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans to form the early dying complex makes studying this disease very in...

This paper reviews the literature on the behavior and attitudes of medical-nursing personnel toward the dying person and illustrates the frequent conflict between hospital staff and the needs of dying. Inner perturbation stemming from feelings of vicarious suffering, vicarious disintegration, or personal anxiety about death, education deficiencies…

Purpose: This study explored the role control plays in the dying process of terminally ill elders by investigating the aspects of the dying process over which they seek to exercise control, the strategies they use, and whether they desire to exercise more control. Design and Methods: In-depth face-to-face interviews were conducted with 84…

Death and dying anxiety were examined among elderly Arab Muslims in Israel. A total of 145 people aged 60 and over were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Nursing home residents reported higher death anxiety than others; women and uneducated participants reported greater levels of fear of death and dying than others. There were no…

This study examines differences in death and dying anxiety between bereaved and nonbereaved elderly Israeli parents, as well as correlates of these factors among bereaved parents. A total of 97 parents (49 bereaved, 48 nonbereaved) completed measures of death and dying anxiety and religiosity. Bereaved parents reported significantly higher dying…

To develop and test a methodology which would help determine the combination of education, training, and experience that is most likely to yield highly qualified workers in specific occupations, the tool and die maker trade was selected for examination in the Boston Metropolitan Area. Tool and die making was chosen because it is a clearly…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, affirmed a district court judgment that ruled unconstitutional a Washington statute banning assisted suicide, as applied to competent, terminally ill adults who wish to obtain prescription medication to hasten their deaths. The statute, which was challenged by a group of patients, physicians, and the nonprofit organization Compassion in Dying, was held to be unconstitutional because it violated the due process clause of the U.S. Constitution. The court took into consideration the interests of the state in protecting life, preventing suicides, preventing undue, arbitrary, or unfair influences on an individual's decision to end his life, and ensuring the integrity of the medical profession. These interests were balanced against an individual's strong liberty interest in determining how and when one's life should end. The court recognized this interest after assessing the growing public support for assisted suicide, changes in the causes of death and medical advances, and Supreme Court cases addressing due process liberty interests. The court then determined that the state's interest, which could be protected by adopting sufficient safeguards, did not outweigh the severe burden placed on the terminally ill, and thus the statute as applied was unconstitutional.

All of us in medicine who care for patients who are chronically critically ill, dying of incurable illnesses, will be faced with discussions about the value of their lives and about the appropriateness of ongoing supportive care. Such discussions are good and true, and they must always be done within the context of the sanctity of every human life and the promise of God that we are His children, each and every one of us. In this article, I explore the end-of-life path of a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the courageous faith that she demonstrated in the face of her illness. I explore with you, the reader, the hard-core conversations that took place at her bedside and their meaning in light of Catholic moral teaching. This story is not meant to indicate that we should always do all interventions at all times for all patients. That would be a teaching counter to Evangelium vitae. This story is meant to help you think through the path of your patients and of you as a physician or other type of healthcare professional in serving your patients. Primum non nocere. Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

The Egg Nebula, also known as CRL 2688, is shown on the left as it appears in visible light with the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) and on the right as it appears in infrared light with Hubble's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). Since infrared light is invisible to humans, the NICMOS image has been assigned colors to distinguish different wavelengths: blue corresponds to starlight reflected by dust particles, and red corresponds to heat radiation emitted by hot molecular hydrogen. Objects like the Egg Nebula are helping astronomers understand how stars like our Sun expel carbon and nitrogen -- elements crucial for life -- into space. Studies on the Egg Nebula show that these dying stars eject matter at high speeds along a preferred axis and may even have multiple jet-like outflows. The signature of the collision between this fast-moving material and the slower outflowing shells is the glow of hydrogen molecules captured in the NICMOS image. The distance between the tip of each jet is approximately 200 times the diameter of our solar system (out to Pluto's orbit). Credits: Rodger Thompson, Marcia Rieke, Glenn Schneider, Dean Hines (University of Arizona); Raghvendra Sahai (Jet Propulsion Laboratory); NICMOS Instrument Definition Team; and NASA Image files in GIF and JPEG format and captions may be accessed on the Internet via anonymous ftp from ftp.stsci.edu in /pubinfo.

The world's first legal euthanasia death occurred in the Australian City of Darwin on Sunday 22 September 1996 when Bob Dent ended his life under the Northern Territory's short-lived Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995. Dent's death intensified argument about euthanasia in Australia, transforming the debate from a textbook discussion in social ethics into a vigorous and divisive social dispute. The day before he ended his life, Dent dictated a letter, written down by his wife. This description of his experience with terminal illness is graphic-the letter, his last effort to bring the plight of those living with terminal illness to public consciousness. In this paper I outline issues from the perspective of those, who like Bob Dent, the choice to die with dignity is personal and urgent. Rather than approach the issue purely from the theoretical, academic debate therefore, I present aspects that are largely unknown unless the experience of life-denying symptoms becomes real. From these aspects, dilemmas and consequences emerge that are not framed through the academic debate and in this way, I argue for the possibility of a framework that could change the law.

Catholic moral theology teaches that life is sacred but not absolute. Because life and all activities are subordinated to spiritual ends, it is moral to allow oneself to die when efforts to prolong life will bring no significant benefit and may even make it more difficult to finish life in peace, composure, and union with God. This is not the moral equivalent of suicide, but rather an acceptance of the human condition. In making such a decision, the distinction between morally ordinary and extraordinary means is crucial and based on the patient's total good. Ordinary means are those which offer a reasonable hope of benefit without excessive expense, pain, or other inconvenience. Extraordinary means are those which cannot be obtained without excessive burden or which, if used, would not offer a reasonable hope of benefit. Whether a medical procedure is standard or experimental does not, from a moral viewpoint, affect whether it is ordinary or extraordinary. In Catholic teaching, the patient has the paramount right to decide whether life-preserving measures will be used. If the patient is unable to make this decision, then the family should make it as the patient's representative.

The question whether being found dead is a problem related to living in a big city was examined by using death certificates from a 3-month period in 1994. The rates of persons found dead were higher for both sexes in the City of Copenhagen than in the rural County of Storstrøm. The age distribution showed that the rate increased with advancing age. The vast majority were found dead in their own home, although the rate was higher in Copenhagen than in Storstrøm. Whereas the manner of death was natural for the majority of cases in both areas, more deaths with an uncertain manner of death were recorded in Copenhagen than in Storstrøm (32% vs 9%). In general, suicide or accident was more often reported in those found dead in the County of Storstrøm than in those in Copenhagen. The cause of death was unknown in 46% of deaths in Copenhagen where 16% had died from external causes, proportions that were 58% and 21%, respectively, in Storstrøm. The rate of legal autopsies was higher in subjects with an uncertain manner of death than in the rest, and was also associated with an age below 40 years. We conclude that being found dead is related to living in a big city, although the reason(s) for this remains unidentified.

Structural analysis, in Abaqus, of a stamping die and subsequent morphing of the tool surfaces in AutoForm were performed to improve a sheet metal forming simulation. First, the tool surfaces of the XC90 rear door inner were scanned. They were not matching when the die was unloaded and could therefore not give any satisfying results in sheet metal forming simulations. Scanned surface geometries were then added to a structural FE-model of the complete stamping die and some influential parts of the production press. The structural FE- model was analysed with Abaqus to obtain the structural deformations of the die. The calculated surface shapes were then transferred to AutoForm where a forming simulation was performed. Results from the different sheet metal forming simulations were compared to measured draw in curves and showed a substantial increase in accuracy and ability to analyse dies in running production when the morphed surfaces were used.

Background Dying is inescapable yet remains a neglected issue in modern health care. The research question in this study was “what is going on in the field of dying today?” What emerged was to eventually present a grounded theory of control of dying focusing specifically on how people react in relation to issues about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS). Methods Classic grounded theory was used to analyze interviews with 55 laypersons and health care professionals in North America and Europe, surveys on attitudes to PAS among physicians and the Swedish general public, and scientific literature, North American discussion forum websites, and news sites. Results Open awareness of the nature and timing of a patient’s death became common in health care during the 1960s in the Western world. Open dying awareness contexts can be seen as the start of a weakening of a taboo towards controlled dying called de-tabooing. The growth of the hospice movement and palliative care, but also the legalization of euthanasia and PAS in the Benelux countries, and PAS in Montana, Oregon and Washington further represents de-tabooing dying control. An attitude positioning between the taboo of dying control and a growing taboo against questioning patient autonomy and self-determination called de-paternalizing is another aspect of de-tabooing. When confronted with a taboo, people first react emotionally based on “gut feelings” - emotional positioning. This is followed by reasoning and label wrestling using euphemisms and dysphemisms - reflective positioning. Rarely is de-tabooing unconditional but enabled by stipulated positioning as in soft laws (palliative care guidelines) and hard laws (euthanasia/PAS legislation). From a global perspective three shapes of dying control emerge. First, suboptimal palliative care in closed awareness contexts seen in Asian, Islamic and Latin cultures, called closed dying. Second, palliative care and sedation therapy, but not euthanasia

% in AM50 to over 9% in AZ91, more of the intermetallic Mg17Al12 is formed in the microstructure. For instance, for 15 increase in the aluminum content from AM50 to AM60, the volume fraction of eutectic present in the microstructure increases by 35%! Eventually, the brittle Mg17Al12 compound forms an interconnected network that reduces ductility and impact resistance. The lower aluminum in AM50 and AM60 are therefore a desirable feature in applications that call for higher impact resistance. Further improvement in impact resistance depends on the processing condition of the casting. Sound castings without porosity and impurities will have better mechanical properties. Since magnesium oxidizes readily, good melting and metal transfer practices are essential. The liquid metal has to be protected from oxidation at all times and entrainment of oxide films in the casting needs to be prevented. In this regard, there is evidence that us of vacuum to evacuate air from the die casting cavity can improve the quality of the castings. Fast cooling rates, leading to smaller grain size are beneficial and promote superior mechanical properties. Micro-segregation and banding are two additional defect types often encountered in magnesium alloys, in particular in AZ91D. While difficult to eliminate, segregation can be minimized by careful thermal management of the dies and the shot sleeve. A major source of segregation is the premature solidification in the shot sleeve. The primary solid dendrites are carried into the casting and form a heterogeneous structure. Furthermore, during the shot, segregation banding can occur. The remedies for this kind of defects include a hotter shot sleeve, use of insulating coatings on the shot sleeve and a short lag time between pouring into the shot sleeve and the shot.

An ''average'' die casting die costs fifty thousand dollars. A die used in making die cast aluminum engine blocks can cost well over one million dollars. These costs provide a strong incentive for extension of die life. While vacuum quenched Premium Grade H13 dies have become the most widely used in the United States, tool makers and die casters are constantly searching for new steels and heat treating procedures to extend die life. This project was undertaken to investigate the effects of composition and heat treating on die life and optimize these parameters.

The mortality rate for 40- 69-year-old men was 12.2/thousand males of corresponding age in 1960 and 16.2 in 2005: it increased by 33%, while among 40- 69-year-old women it decreased from 9.6 0/thousand females of corresponding age to 7.8. The aim of the present follow up study was to analyze which psychosocial risk factors might explain the high premature mortality rates among Hungarian men. Participants in the Hungarostudy 2002 study, a nationally representative sample, 1130 men and 1529 women were contacted again in the follow up study in 2006, who in 2002 were between the age of 40-69 years. By 2006, 99 men (8.8%) and 53 women (3.5%) died in this age group. Socio-economic, psychosocial and work-related measures, self-rated health, chronic disorders, depressive symptoms (BDI), WHO well-being, negative affect, self-efficacy, meaning in life and health behavioral factors were included in the analysis. After adjustment according to smoking, alcohol abuse, BMI, education and age, a number of variables were significant predictors of mortality only in men: low education, low subjective social status, low personal and family income, insecurity of work, no control in work, severe depression, no meaning in life, low social support from spouse, low social support from child. Socio-economic and work related risk factors predicted only male premature death. Among women dissatisfaction with personal relations was the most important risk factor. Among men depression seems to mediate between these chronic stress factors and premature death.

A DYING STAR IN GLOBULAR CLUSTER M15 The globular cluster Messier 15 is shown in this color image obtained with the NASA Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2). Lying some 40,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, M15 is one of nearly 150 known globular clusters that form a vast halo surrounding our Milky Way galaxy. Each of these clusters is a spherical association of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars. The image, prepared by the Hubble Heritage team, attempts to show the stars in M15 in their true colors. The brightest cluster stars are red giants, with an orange color due to surface temperatures lower than our Sun's. Most of the fainter stars are hotter, giving them a bluish-white color. If we lived in the core of M15, our sky would blaze with tens of thousands of brilliant stars both day and night! Nestled among the myriads of stars visible in the Hubble image is an astronomical oddity. The pinkish object to the upper left of the cluster's core is a gas cloud surrounding a dying star. Known as Kuestner 648, this was the first planetary nebula to be identified in a globular cluster. In 1928, F. G. Pease, working at the 100-inch telescope of California's Mount Wilson Observatory, photographed the spectrum of K 648 and discovered the telltale bright emission of a nebular gas cloud rather than a normal star. In the ensuing 70 years, only three more planetary nebulae have been discovered in globular clusters. The stars in M15 and other globular clusters are estimated to be about 12 billion years old. They were among the first generations of stars to form in the Milky Way. Our Sun, by comparison, is a youthful 4.6 billion years old. As a star like the Sun ages, it exhausts the hydrogen that fuels its nuclear fusion, and increases in size to become a red giant. Then it ejects its outer layers into space, producing a planetary nebula. The remnant star at the center of the nebula gradually dies away as a

A DYING STAR IN GLOBULAR CLUSTER M15 The globular cluster Messier 15 is shown in this color image obtained with the NASA Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2). Lying some 40,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Pegasus, M15 is one of nearly 150 known globular clusters that form a vast halo surrounding our Milky Way galaxy. Each of these clusters is a spherical association of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars. The image, prepared by the Hubble Heritage team, attempts to show the stars in M15 in their true colors. The brightest cluster stars are red giants, with an orange color due to surface temperatures lower than our Sun's. Most of the fainter stars are hotter, giving them a bluish-white color. If we lived in the core of M15, our sky would blaze with tens of thousands of brilliant stars both day and night! Nestled among the myriads of stars visible in the Hubble image is an astronomical oddity. The pinkish object to the upper left of the cluster's core is a gas cloud surrounding a dying star. Known as Kuestner 648, this was the first planetary nebula to be identified in a globular cluster. In 1928, F. G. Pease, working at the 100-inch telescope of California's Mount Wilson Observatory, photographed the spectrum of K 648 and discovered the telltale bright emission of a nebular gas cloud rather than a normal star. In the ensuing 70 years, only three more planetary nebulae have been discovered in globular clusters. The stars in M15 and other globular clusters are estimated to be about 12 billion years old. They were among the first generations of stars to form in the Milky Way. Our Sun, by comparison, is a youthful 4.6 billion years old. As a star like the Sun ages, it exhausts the hydrogen that fuels its nuclear fusion, and increases in size to become a red giant. Then it ejects its outer layers into space, producing a planetary nebula. The remnant star at the center of the nebula gradually dies away as a

A compacting die is disclosed wherein the improvement comprises providing a screen in the die cavity, the screen being positioned parallel to the side walls of said die and dividing the die cavity into center and annular compartments. In addition, the use of this die in a method for producing an annular clad ceramic fuel material is disclosed.

This article introduces the primary beliefs about ancestor worship, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and traditional Chinese medicine that have influenced Chinese people for thousands of years, particularly in relation to death and dying. These cultures and traditions remain important for Chinese people wherever they live. Over a long period, Chinese people have integrated these philosophies and religions to form the basis of their culture and traditions. Although they agree that death is a natural part of the life span, a unique belief about death and dying has emerged among the Chinese from this integration. From this, the people find a significant definition of death and dying.

Executive Summary In July 2010, the Medical Advisory Secretariat (MAS) began work on a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) evidentiary framework, an evidence-based review of the literature surrounding treatment strategies for patients with COPD. This project emerged from a request by the Health System Strategy Division of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care that MAS provide them with an evidentiary platform on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of COPD interventions. After an initial review of health technology assessments and systematic reviews of COPD literature, and consultation with experts, MAS identified the following topics for analysis: vaccinations (influenza and pneumococcal), smoking cessation, multidisciplinary care, pulmonary rehabilitation, long-term oxygen therapy, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation for acute and chronic respiratory failure, hospital-at-home for acute exacerbations of COPD, and telehealth (including telemonitoring and telephone support). Evidence-based analyses were prepared for each of these topics. For each technology, an economic analysis was also completed where appropriate. In addition, a review of the qualitative literature on patient, caregiver, and provider perspectives on living and dying with COPD was conducted, as were reviews of the qualitative literature on each of the technologies included in these analyses. The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Mega-Analysis series is made up of the following reports, which can be publicly accessed at the MAS website at: http://www.hqontario.ca/en/mas/mas_ohtas_mn.html. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Evidentiary Framework Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccinations for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): An Evidence-Based Analysis Smoking Cessation for Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): An Evidence-Based Analysis Community-Based Multidisciplinary Care for Patients With Stable Chronic Obstructive

During the die casting process, lubricants are sprayed in order to cool the dies and facilitate the ejection of the casting. The cooling effects of the die lubricant were investigated using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), heat flux sensors (HFS), and infrared imaging. The evolution of the heat flux and pictures taken using a high speed infrared camera revealed that lubricant application was a transient process. The short time response of the HFS allows the monitoring and data acquisition of the surface temperature and heat flux without additional data processing. A similar set of experiments was performed with deionized water in order to assess the lubricant effect. The high heat flux obtained at 300 C was attributed to the wetting and absorbant properties of the lubricant. Pictures of the spray cone and lubricant flow on the die were also used to explain the heat flux evolution.

of a variety of die blocks for introducing a variety of angled joggles in the metal sheets and extrusions. Relatively low melting temperature material is used for the castings. Keywords: Patents; Aircraft parts. (kt)

Stormwater best management practices (BMPs) are often considered effective tools to mitigate the effects of stormwater pollutants before they are discharged to receiving waters. However, BMP performance for microorganisms removal is not well documented. Microorganisms die-off in...

Stormwater best management practices (BMPs) are often considered effective tools to mitigate the effects of stormwater pollutants before they are discharged to receiving waters. However, BMP performance for microorganisms removal is not well documented. Microorganisms die-off in ...

This late-start LDRD explores chemical strategies that will enable sub-micron alignment accuracy of dies and wafers by exploiting the interfacial energies of chemical ligands. We have micropatterned commensurate features, such as 2-d arrays of micron-sized gold lines on the die to be bonded. Each gold line is functionalized with alkanethiol ligands before the die are brought into contact. The ligand interfacial energy is minimized when the lines on the die are brought into registration, due to favorable interactions between the complementary ligand tails. After registration is achieved, standard bonding techniques are used to create precision permanent bonds. We have computed the alignment forces and torque between two surfaces patterned with arrays of lines or square pads to illustrate how best to maximize the tendency to align. We also discuss complex, aperiodic patterns such as rectilinear pad assemblies, concentric circles, and spirals that point the way towards extremely precise alignment.

BACKGROUND: The legalization of medical assistance in dying will affect health care spending in Canada. Our aim was to determine the potential costs and savings associated with the implementation of medical assistance in dying. METHODS: Using published data from the Netherlands and Belgium, where medically assisted death is legal, we estimated that medical assistance in dying will account for 1%–4% of all deaths; 80% of patients will have cancer; 50% of patients will be aged 60–80 years; 55% will be men; 60% of patients will have their lives shortened by 1 month; and 40% of patients will have their lives shortened by 1 week. We combined current mortality data for the Canadian population with recent end-of-life cost data to calculate a predicted range of savings associated with the implementation of medical assistance in dying. We also estimated the direct costs associated with offering medically assisted death, including physician consultations and drug costs. RESULTS: Medical assistance in dying could reduce annual health care spending across Canada by between $34.7 million and $138.8 million, exceeding the $1.5–$14.8 million in direct costs associated with its implementation. In sensitivity analyses, we noted that even if the potential savings are overestimated and costs underestimated, the implementation of mdedical assistance in dying will likely remain at least cost neutral. INTERPRETATION: Providing medical assistance in dying in Canada should not result in any excess financial burden to the health care system, and could result in substantial savings. Additional data on patients who choose medical assistance in dying in Canada should be collected to enable more precise estimates of the impact of medically assisted death on health care spending and to enable further economic evaluation. PMID:28246154

were being actively developed for test and bum-in of bare die or minimally packaged die. The companies plan to make the technology available to the...lifetime (up to the consensus single best technology for making temporary 1000 cycle limit) reducing cost. Cost impact of caner probe contact to...model and develop the system specification for Im oe _ side 40O extensions to make this a useful tool for industrial users 2 CPU 10 mm on each side 2001

This document provides descriptions of the microstructure of different aluminum die casting alloys and to relate the various microstructures to the alloy chemistry. It relates the microstructures of the alloys to their main engineering properties such as ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, fatigue life, impact resistance, wear resistance, hardness, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. Finally, it serves as a reference source for aluminum die casting alloys.

Salt marsh die-off is a Western Atlantic conservation problem that has recently spread into Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, USA. It has been hypothesized to be driven by: 1) eutrophication decreasing plant investment into belowground biomass causing plant collapse, 2) boat wakes eroding creek banks, 3) pollution or disease affecting plant health, 4) substrate hardness controlling herbivorous crab distributions and 5) trophic dysfunction releasing herbivorous crabs from predator control. To distinguish between these hypotheses we quantified these variables at 14 Narragansett Bay salt marshes where die-off intensity ranged from <5% to nearly 98%. Nitrogen availability, wave intensity and plant growth did not explain any variation in die-off. Herbivory explained 73% of inter-site variation in die-off and predator control of herbivores and substrate hardness also varied significantly with die-off. This suggests that salt marsh die-off is being largely driven by intense herbivory via the release of herbivorous crabs from predator control. Our results and those from other marsh systems suggest that consumer control may not simply be a factor to consider in marsh conservation, but with widespread predator depletion impacting near shore habitats globally, trophic dysfunction and runaway consumption may be the largest and most urgent management challenge for salt marsh conservation.

Eutectic solders AuIn19 and AuGe12 and nanosilver paste were investigated for SiC die attach in high-temperature (300°C) applications. The soldering or sintering conditions were optimized through die shear tests performed at room temperature. In particular, application of static pressure (3.5 MPa) during sintering resulted in greatly improved mechanical behavior of the nanosilver-based joint. Microstructural study of the eutectic solders showed formation of Au-rich grains in AuGe die attach and significant diffusion of Au and In through the Ni layer in AuIn19 die attach, which could lead to formation of intermetallic compounds. Die shear tests versus temperature showed that the behaviors of the studied die attaches are different; nevertheless they present suitable shear strengths required for high-temperature applications. The mechanical behavior of joints under various levels of thermal and mechanical stress was also studied. Creep experiments were carried out on the eutectic solders to describe the thermomechanical behavior of the complete module; only one creep mechanism was observed in the working range.

Several US states are enacting 'right-to-die' laws, in the wake of the Karen Quinlan case. But the way such a law is drafted may cast doubt on a patient's existing common law right to control all aspects of his own treatment; it may give legal sanction to a lower standard of medical care that society at present expects from doctors; and it may lead to conflict between the patient's directive and his doctor's clinical judgement which cannot readily be resolved. The laws themselves are categorised as a) legalising active killing or b) defining rights of patients to control treatment or c) assigning to others the rights to control treatment where the patient is not competent. The California law is discussed critically. The conclusion is that such legislation is not a satisfactory answer to the ethical problem of euthanasia. PMID:739516

Grote Reber, one of the earliest pioneers of radio astronomy, died in Tasmania on December 20, just two days shy of his 91st birthday. Reber was the first person to build a radio telescope dedicated to astronomy, opening up a whole new "window" on the Universe that eventually produced such landmark discoveries as quasars, pulsars and the remnant "afterglow" of the Big Bang. His self- financed experiments laid the foundation for today's advanced radio-astronomy facilities. Grote Reber Grote Reber NRAO/AUI photo "Radio astronomy has changed profoundly our understanding of the Universe and has earned the Nobel Prize for several major contributions. All radio astronomers who have followed him owe Grote Reber a deep debt for his pioneering work," said Dr. Fred Lo, director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). "Reber was the first to systematically study the sky by observing something other than visible light. This gave astronomy a whole new view of the Universe. The continuing importance of new ways of looking at the Universe is emphasized by this year's Nobel Prizes in physics, which recognized scientists who pioneered X-ray and neutrino observations," Lo added. Reber was a radio engineer and avid amateur "ham" radio operator in Wheaton, Illinois, in the 1930s when he read about Karl Jansky's 1932 discovery of natural radio emissions coming from outer space. As an amateur operator, Reber had won awards and communicated with other amateurs around the world, and later wrote that he had concluded "there were no more worlds to conquer" in radio. Learning of Jansky's discovery gave Reber a whole new challenge that he attacked with vigor. Analyzing the problem as an engineer, Reber concluded that what he needed was a parabolic-dish antenna, something quite uncommon in the 1930s. In 1937, using his own funds, he constructed a 31.4-foot-diameter dish antenna in his back yard. The strange contraption attracted curious attention from his neighbors and became

this is radiation from a SiO maser in the atmosphere of the star. If it would not have been a maser, it would have been far too weak to have been detected. Although we know several hundred masers of this type in the Milky Way, this is the first discovery of a SiO maser in another galaxy than our own . Since then, the observations have been continued in collaboration with Australian astronomers, using radio telescopes at Parkes and Mopra on that continent. A most unusual star When Swedish astronomer Bengt Westerlund and his colleagues first observed this LMC maser star in 1981 with optical telescopes, they thought that it was a rather normal, cool and not particularly bright star. However, a few years later, the Dutch-British-USA InfraRed Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) revealed its true nature. The IRAS measurements showed that the star radiates most of its light in the form of infrared radiation [4], making it one of the most powerful stars in the LMC; in fact, it emits about half a million times more energy than the Sun. On this occasion, it was given the designation IRAS 04553-6825 , the number indicating its position in the sky. IRAS 04553-6825 is unusual in other ways. It is some fifty times as heavy as our Sun, and it is the biggest known star in the LMC: if it were to take the place of our Sun, it would fill the solar system out to the planet Neptune, thirty times the distance from the Earth to the Sun. It is rather cool when compared to other stars - although it still has a temperature of about 2,000 C - and it therefore has a very red colour [5]. This Press Release is accompanied by ESO Press Photo 15/96 which demonstrates that while the star is hardly visible in blue light, it shines brightly in red and infrared light. Stars like IRAS 04553-6825 are known as red supergiants. It has been unofficially dubbed `The Monster', and having reached the end of a short and hectic life, it is now dying. The nuclear reactions deep inside are undergoing important changes at

Peritoneal carcinomatosis is an advanced form of metastatic disease characterized by cancer cell dissemination onto the peritoneum. It is commonly observed in ovarian and colorectal cancers and is associated with poor patient survival. Novel therapies consist of cytoreductive surgery in combination with intraperitoneal chemotherapy, aiming at tumor cell death induction. The resulting dying tumor cells are considered to be eliminated by professional as well as semi-professional phagocytes. In the present study, we have identified a hitherto unknown type of 'amateur' phagocyte in this environment: human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HMCs). We demonstrate that HMCs engulf corpses of dying ovarian and colorectal cancer cells, as well as other types of apoptotic cells. Flow cytometric, confocal and electron microscopical analyses revealed that HMCs ingest dying cell fragments in a dose- and time-dependent manner and the internalized material subsequently traffics into late phagolysosomes. Regarding the mechanisms of prey cell recognition, our results show that HMCs engulf apoptotic corpses in a serum-dependent and -independent fashion and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed that diverse opsonin receptor systems orchestrating dying cell clearance are expressed in HMCs at high levels. Our data strongly suggest that HMCs contribute to dying cell removal in the peritoneum, and future studies will elucidate in what manner this influences tumor cell dissemination and the antitumor immune response.

The subject of death denial in the West has been examined extensively in the sociological literature. However, there has not been a similar examination of its "opposite", the acceptance of death. In this study, I use the qualitative method of discourse analysis to examine the use of the term "acceptance" of dying in the palliative care literature from 1970 to 2001. A Medline search was performed by combining the text words "accept or acceptance" with the subject headings "terminal care or palliative care or hospice care", and restricting the search to English language articles in clinical journals discussing acceptance of death in adults. The 40 articles were coded and analysed using a critical discourse analysis method. This paper focuses on the theme of acceptance as integral to palliative care, which had subthemes of acceptance as a goal of care, personal acceptance of healthcare workers, and acceptance as a facilitator of care. For patients and families, death acceptance is a goal that they can be helped to attain; for palliative care staff, acceptance of dying is a personal quality that is a precondition for effective practice. Acceptance not only facilitates the dying process for the patient and family, but also renders care easier. The analysis investigates the intertextuality of these themes with each other and with previous texts. From a Foucauldian perspective, I suggest that the discourse on acceptance of dying represents a productive power, which disciplines patients through apparent psychological and spiritual gratification, and encourages participation in a certain way to die.

... concerning dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock, and parts of carcasses of livestock that died... other transactions concerning dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock, and parts of carcasses of... transporting in commerce, or importing any dead, dying, disabled or diseased animals or parts of the...

... concerning dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock, and parts of carcasses of livestock that died... other transactions concerning dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock, and parts of carcasses of... transporting in commerce, or importing any dead, dying, disabled or diseased animals or parts of the...

... concerning dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock, and parts of carcasses of livestock that died... other transactions concerning dead, dying, disabled, or diseased livestock, and parts of carcasses of... transporting in commerce, or importing any dead, dying, disabled or diseased animals or parts of the...

This article is a review of Robert Kastenbaum's 1979 essay entitled "Healthy dying: A paradoxical quest continues." It begins with a summary of the arguments and challenges in the original essay. This is followed by an evaluation of his original claims in the light of contemporary insights in modern public health history and empirical studies of near-death experiences and death bed visions. The recent development of health promotion in palliative care is described in relation to these developments and Kastenbaum's early question about the paradoxical quest for health while dying is again posed against this background. Given our modern understanding of "health" in current global health policy and debates, it is argued that "healthy dying" is no paradox. Instead, the pursuit of health at the end of life represents a realistic modern desire to compress morbidity, minimize unnecessary suffering, and enhance quality of life at this time.

This existential phenomenological study explored caring for the dying based on the philosophical works of Merleau-Ponty. Fourteen critical care nurses were asked to describe lived experiences of caring for dying patients. An encompassing theme of Promises to Keep emerged, with five subthemes, including the following: (a) promise to be truthful: "Nurses are in the game of reality," (b) promise to provide comfort: "I'll make him comfortable," (c) promise to be an advocate: "Just one more day," (d) "Promise that couldn't be kept," and (e) "Promise to remain connected." The essence of intensive care nurses' lived experience of caring for dying patients is captured in the theme Promises to Keep. Nurses accept the reality of death and express strong commitment to making it as comfortable, peaceful, and dignified as possible, despite critical care unit environments that foster a "paradigm of curing" rather than a "paradigm of caring.".

In this work, we used the CFD software PolyFlow to optimize the extrusion process of polystyrene flow. In this process, the flow of the molten polymer through the die can be viewed as a critical step for the material in terms of shear rate, self heating by viscous dissipation and temperature reached. The simulation is focused on the flow and heat transfer in the die to obtain a uniform velocity profile and a uniform temperature profile. The rheological behavior of polymer melt was described by the nonlinear Giesekus model. The dependence of the viscosity has also to be taken into account for a correct description of the flow. The design of the die has been validated by our numerical simulation.

Death and dying anxiety were examined among elderly Arab Muslims in Israel. A total of 145 people aged 60 and over were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Nursing home residents reported higher death anxiety than others; women and uneducated participants reported greater levels of fear of death and dying than others. There were no differences based on religiosity. Death anxiety was related to gender and education for elderly living in the community, but social support and self-esteem were additional correlates for those living in nursing homes. The results of this study indicate that fostering a sense that one has a supportive social and familial network is important in decreasing death and dying anxiety among elderly Arab people. It would also be beneficial to provide information and knowledge that might relieve some of the anxiety they experience.

The purpose of this study was to explore nurses’ emotional challenges when caring for the dying in hospices. The study has a qualitative design, and knowledge was developed through a dialectical exchange between theory and data. Ten individual in-depth interviews were conducted with nurses recruited from two hospices in Denmark. Although all of the nurses said that they experienced emotional challenges or felt emotionally touched during their work, the study found a variety of opinions related to the extent to which their emotional reactions should be revealed in their role as a hospice professional. The participants described their emotional challenges as being simultaneously draining and enriching experiences leading to personal and professional growth and development. The study may contribute to increased awareness of emotional challenges for hospice nurses, which involve continuous reflection and balancing between meeting the dying as a human being and meeting the dying as a hospice professional. PMID:27258584

Dying, death, and bereavement do not occur in a social vacuum. How individuals and groups experience these phenomena will be largely influenced by the social context in which they occur. To develop an adequate understanding of dying, death, and bereavement we therefore need to incorporate a sociological perspective into our analysis. This article examines why a sociological perspective is necessary and explores various ways in which sociology can be of practical value in both intellectual and professional contexts. A case study comparing psychological and sociological perspectives is offered by way of illustration.

It has been reported that professional baseball players whose first names begin with the letter "D" tend to die relatively young (E. L. Abel & M. L. Kruger, 2010). However, the statistical evidence for this claim is based on selective data and a statistical test that ignores important confounding influences. A valid test applied to more comprehensive data from the same source does not show a statistically significant relationship between initials and longevity. In addition, data for the years 1960 through 2004 for 6.7 million White, non-Hispanic California decedents do not replicate the claim that D's die young.

A lean and smart pultrusion die is proposed. The concept arose from a thermal analysis which showed that present dies involve large heat losses balancing large power inputs with temperature excursions being damped by high die mass. As power costs increase and control costs decrease, pultrusion dies may evolve toward low mass, highly insulated dies with a computer for monitoring and control purposes as well as for heat transfer estimates.

Context: Barriers to providing optimal palliative care in rural communities are not well understood. Purpose: To identify health care personnel's perceptions of the care provided to dying patients in rural Kansas and Colorado and to identify barriers to providing optimal care. Methods: An anonymous self-administered survey was sent to health care…

The consumer aspects of death and dying are discussed as part of a comprehensive death education program. Suggested areas to be covered include traditional funeral procedures and costs; alternatives including cremation, body donation, and funeral and memorial societies; and drawing up a will. Some suggested teaching strategies are outlined. (JMF)

This book is intended to help the counselor learn to work with terminal patients. The first part presents historical and cultural attitudes toward death and dying. Fear of death, the role of religion, and common myths about terminal cancer patients are discussed. The second part deals with care and treatment of terminal patients. The significance…

Explores attitudes of dental and medical students toward death and dying. Attitudes toward death influencing choice between dental school and medical school are latent. Attitudes of dental and medical students toward death may be differentially affected by their professional experiences. (Author/BEF)

This study was conducted to answer four questions about the tool and die industry in Michigan. These were: (1) What are the current production techniques? (2) To what extent are these industrialists aware of new technologies? (3) What technical and economic factors affect technological change? and (4) To what extent will new technologies replace…

View west of small tooling and forging dies in Blacksmith Shop, Boilermakers Department, east side of building 57; during World War II approximately forty women were employed as blacksmith's forging a variety of small tools; these may be the tools they used. - Naval Base Philadelphia-Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Structure Shop, League Island, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA

A case study of psychiatric intervention for two sisters whose brother is dying of leukemia is presented. The therapeutic technique attempted to deal with the threatened loss by a forthright approach to the reality situation, encouraging "immunizing" discussions, allowance for catharsis without severe regression, emphasis on reality orientation,…

In this study, newspaper accounts of people who die alone are analysed, drawing on a sample of 90 articles in the anglophone press that appeared in October 1999. Dying alone is represented as a fearful fate and a moral affair, often being the outcome of an undesirable personal character, either of the deceased or of onlookers, or involving the failings of society at large. It is frequently portrayed as occurring to people who are either geographically or socially distant from 'home', so that an imagined community of readers is encouraged to contemplate a death alone as the consequence of personal or societal breakdown. A degree of stigmatisation, sometimes of those who die alone, sometimes of those perceived to have caused this event, was evident. The negative evaluation of death alone parallels that found in some traditional societies where a death far from home is considered 'bad'. Dying alone contrasts significantly with the sociable, 'good', confessional deaths of newspaper columnists and other media celebrities facing terminal illness.

Various perspectives on the inclusion of death education in health education curricula are offered. Discussed are: (1) positive and negative attitudes toward death; (2) teacher competence, qualifications, and skills; (3) religious beliefs about death; (4) Kubler-Ross's Five Stages of Dying; and (5) political implications of teaching about death.…

Purpose: To better understand the experiences and potential unmet need of persons who die in long-term care. Design and Methods: We conducted after-death interviews with staff who had cared for 422 decedents with dementia and 159 who were cognitively intact and received terminal care in U.S. nursing homes (NHs) or residential care-assisted living…

It has been reported that professional baseball players whose first names begin with the letter "D" tend to die relatively young (E. L. Abel & M. L. Kruger, 2010). However, the statistical evidence for this claim is based on selective data and a statistical test that ignores important confounding influences. A valid test applied to…

Context: Surveys indicate 50% to 80% of cancer patients would choose to die at home if possible, although far fewer actually do. In Nova Scotia (NS), cancer deaths occurring out-of-hospital increased from 19.8% in 1992 to 30.2% in 1997. The impact of rural residency on this trend has not been studied. Purpose: To determine the association between…

This teaching brief presents a Microsoft® Excel simulation designed to complement and expand upon the well-known matchstick/die game introduced by Goldratt in "The Goal." This simulation performs 100 replications of a 40-period processing run for low, medium, and high levels of process variation and displays the comparative results…

This article introduces the primary beliefs about ancestor worship, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism and traditional Chinese medicine that have influenced Chinese people for thousands of years, particularly in relation to death and dying. These cultures and traditions remain important for Chinese people wherever they live. Over a long period,…

Examined 25 dream reports of individuals in Palliative Care Unit. Content analysis of dream reports supports hypothesis that continuity exists between dreaming and waking experience. Results did not indicate that themes of death and aggression, negative emotion, or infant and child characters were more prevalent among the dying. (Author/NB)

The field of death and dying has become an important area for the development of both research and clinical technique. Psychologists in increasing numbers work in hospital and hospice settings, and therapists treat terminally ill patients and/or their families. Greater attention is being paid to the needs and rights of these patients and families,…

An active-surface membrane technology was used to separate a die lube manufacturing wastewater stream consisting of various oils, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and silicones. The ultrafiltration membranes reduced organics from initial oil and grease contents by 20–25X, carbon oxygen demand (COD) by 1.5 to 2X, and total organic carbon (TOC) by 0.6, while the biological oxygen demand (BOD) remained constant. The active-surface membranes were not fouled as badly as non-active-surface systems and the active-surface membrane flux levels were consistently higher and more stable than those of the non-active-surface membranes tested. Field testing demonstrated that the rotary microfilter can concentrate the die lube, i.e. remove the glycerin component, and produce a die lube suitable for recycling. The recycling system operated for six weeks with only seven cleaning cycles and no mechanical or electrical failures. Test data and quality records indicate that the die casting scrap was reduced from 8.4 to 7.8%. There is no doubt that this test yielded tremendous results. This separation process presents significant opportunities that can be evaluated further.

An active-surface membrane technology was used to separate a die lube manufacturing wastewater stream consisting of various oils, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and silicones. The ultrafiltration membranes reduced organics from initial oil and grease contents by 20-25X, carbon oxygen demand (COD) by 1.5 to 2X, and total organic carbon (TOC) by 0.6, while the biological oxygen demand (BOD) remained constant. The active-surface membranes were not fouled as badly as non-active-surface systems and the active-surface membrane flux levels were consistently higher and more stable than those of the non-active-surface membranes tested. Field testing demonstrated that the rotary microfilter can concentrate the die lube, i.e. remove the glycerin component, and produce a die lube suitable for recycling. The recycling system operated for six weeks with only seven cleaning cycles and no mechanical or electrical failures. Test data and quality records indicate that the die casting scrap was reduced from 8.4 to 7.8%. There is no doubt that this test yielded tremendous results. This separation process presents significant opportunities that can be evaluated further.

The Roma people have specific values, therefore their views and beliefs about illness, dying and death are important to be known for health care providers caring for members of this community. The aim of this qualitative study based on 48 semi-structured interviews with Roma patients and caregivers in communities in two regions of Romania was to examine their selfdescribed behaviors and practices, their experiences and perceptions of illness, dying and death. Five more important themes about the Roma people facing dying and death have been identified: (1) The perception of illness in the community as reason for shame and the isolation that results from this, as well as the tendency for Roma people to take this on in their self image; (2) The importance of the family as the major support for the ill/dying individual, including the social requirement that family gather when someone is ill/dying; (3) The belief that the patient should not be told his/her diagnosis for fear it will harm him/her and that the family should be informed of the diagnosis as the main decision maker regarding medical treatment; (4) The reluctance of the Roma to decide on stopping life prolonging treatment; (5) The view of death as 'impure'. These results can be useful for health care providers working with members of the Roma community. By paying attention to and respecting the Roma patients' values, spirituality, and relationship dynamics, the medical staff can provide the most suitable healthcare by respecting the patients' wishes and expectations.

The objective of this work was to develop and test die casting design evaluation techniques based on the visualization of geometric data that is related to potential defects of problems. Specifically, thickness information is used to provide insight into potential thermal problems in the part and die. Distance from the gate and a special type of animation of the fill pattern is used to provide an assessment of gate, vent and overflow locations. Techniques have been developed to convert part design information in the form of STL files to a volume-based representation called a voxel model. The use of STL files makes the process CAD system independent. Once in voxel form, methods that were developed in this work are used to identify thick regions in the part, thin regions in the part and/or die, distance from user specified entry locations (gates), and the qualitative depiction of the fill pattern. The methods were tested with a prototype implementation on the UNIX platform. The results of comparisons with numerical simulation and field reported defects were surprisingly good. The fill-related methods were also compared against short-shots and a water analog study using high speed video. The report contains the results of the testing plus detailed background material on the construction of voxel models, the methods used for displaying results, and the computational geometric reasoning methods used to create die casting-related information form the voxel model for display to the user.

The objective of this work was to develop and test die casting design evaluation techniques based on the visualization of geometric data that is related to potential defects of problems. Specifically, thickness information is used to provide insight into potential thermal problems in the part and die. Distance from the gate and a special type of animation of the fill pattern is used to provide an assessment of gate, vent and overflow locations. Techniques have been developed to convert part design information in the form of STL files to a volume-based representation called a voxel model. The use of STL files makes the process CAD system independent. Once in voxel form, methods that were developed in this work are used to identify thick regions in the part, thin regions in the part and/or die, distance from user specified entry locations (gates), and the qualitative depiction of the fill pattern. The methods were tested with a prototype implementation on the UNIX platform. The results of comparisons with numerical simulation and field reported defects were surprisingly good. The fill-related methods were also compared against short-shots and a water analog study using high speed video. The report contains the results of the testing plus detailed background material on the construction of voxel models, the methods used for displaying results, and the computational geometric reasoning methods used to create die casting-related information from the voxel model for display to the user.

To provide industrial confirmation of laboratory results produced in Task 6 of this project, five industrial trials were organized with cooperative die casters in the USA. Components cast during these trials ranged from functional electronic heat sinks to decorative household plumbing components. Whereas laboratory work indicated that die temperature and draft angle were the most important process factors influencing solder accumulation, it was not possible to vary draft angle on the established production dies used for these trials. Substantial variations in die temperature were realized however and also die surface conditions were varied, confirming the influence of a secondary variable in the laboratory investigation. Substantial evidence from the trials indicated that die surface temperature is the most important factor for controlling solder build up. The surface roughness of the die casting die greatly influenced the number of castings that could be run before solder initially appeared. Development of careful thermal management techniques, now judged to be beyond the capabilities of most US die casters, will be necessary to control incidences of die soldering found in typical production. Thermal control will involve both control of the bulk die temperature through use of thermally controlled cooling lines, and also regulation of surface temperature by well controlled cooling lines, and also regulation of surface temperature by well controlled die spraying (lubrication) techniques. Further research, development and technology transfer to enhance thermal control capabilities of US die casters is recommended.

Salt marsh habitat loss to vegetation die-offs has accelerated throughout the western Atlantic in the last four decades. Recent studies have suggested that eutrophication, pollution and/or disease may contribute to the loss of marsh habitat. In light of recent evidence that predators are important determinants of marsh health in New England, we performed a total predator exclusion experiment. Here, we provide the first experimental evidence that predator depletion can cause salt marsh die-off by releasing the herbivorous crab Sesarma reticulatum from predator control. Excluding predators from a marsh ecosystem for a single growing season resulted in a >100% increase in herbivory and a >150% increase in unvegetated bare space compared to plots with predators. Our results confirm that marshes in this region face multiple, potentially synergistic threats.

When a cell dies in vivo the event does not go unnoticed. The host has evolved mechanisms to detect the death of cells and rapidly investigate the nature of their demise. If cell death is a result of natural causes, that is, it is part of normal physiological processes, then there is little threat to the organism. In this situation, little else is done other than removing the corpse. However, if cells have died as the consequence of some violence or disease, then both defence and repair mechanisms are mobilized. The importance of this process to host defence and disease pathogenesis has only been appreciated relatively recently. This article will review our current knowledge of these processes. PMID:18340345

The fast and efficient uptake of dying cells is of main importance to prevent contact of the immune system with intracellular autoantigens. Insufficient clearance of the latter is discussed to drive the humoral autoimmune response in systemic lupus erythematosus. Many adaptor molecules and receptors are involved in the recognition of dying cells. In this paper we focus on the involvement of phosphatidylserine, glycoproteins, and complement and DNaseI in the clearance of apoptotic and necrotic cells, respectively. Furthermore, extracellular danger signals released from necrotic cells are discussed and the uptake process of primary necrotic cells is investigated in detail. Last but not least, the character and origin of clearance defects observed in some systemic lupus erythematosus patients is presented.

Salt marsh habitat loss to vegetation die-offs has accelerated throughout the western Atlantic in the last four decades. Recent studies have suggested that eutrophication, pollution and/or disease may contribute to the loss of marsh habitat. In light of recent evidence that predators are important determinants of marsh health in New England, we performed a total predator exclusion experiment. Here, we provide the first experimental evidence that predator depletion can cause salt marsh die-off by releasing the herbivorous crab Sesarma reticulatum from predator control. Excluding predators from a marsh ecosystem for a single growing season resulted in a >100% increase in herbivory and a >150% increase in unvegetated bare space compared to plots with predators. Our results confirm that marshes in this region face multiple, potentially synergistic threats. PMID:24766277

In concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) cell assemblies, a large-area die-attach layer is subjected to thermal cycles, leading to thermomechanical fatigue. This causes cracking and the eventual failure of the CPV cell by thermal runaway. We define a damage metric representing lumped progress toward failure and present a numerical model for computing the accumulation of damage for arbitrary transient temperature conditions. The model is applied to a particular design with a solder die-attach layer. We show that accelerated-test thermal cycles with higher ramp rates cause more damage, both per cycle and per unit time. Outdoor exposure to one entire year in two geographic locations is also simulated, revealing that a year of exposure in Golden, Colorado is equivalent to 1.4 years of exposure in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

X = 0.75 Beta prime Sialon (a silicon aluminum oxynitride) and Sibeon (silicon beryllium oxynitride) are promising die materials. In sessile drop tests in contact with molten silicon, beryllium contamination was less than ppm and aluminum contamination 50 ppm. A shaping die of the Sialon material was successfully fabricated. Dry milling studies for the preparation of Si3N4-Al2O3-ALN mixtures were performed with butanol, acetic anhydride, oleic acid, and triethanolamine milling aids. Optimum mixing was achieved with 0.15 percent triethanolamine using a milling time of 8 hours. Preliminary evaluation of Sibeon materials indicates that they are more resistent to molten silicon attack than Sialon. Silicon contamination from the beryllium was less than aluminum contamination even though the aluminum impurity level in the Sibeon was only 450 to 1300 ppm. Work designed to produce an aluminum-free Sibeon is described.

This article explores the role of the physician in the Assisted Dying Bill, which is currently progressing through the House of Lords. The Supreme Court decision in Nicklinson and Others has alerted Parliament to the possibility that the current prohibition against assisted suicide may breach Article 8 of the European Convention in relation to the right to choose how to end one's life. In this article, the role of healthcare professionals in the proposed legalisation of physician-assisted suicide is examined, together with consideration of key ethical concerns over who might be permitted to access assisted dying. Whether the proposed law presents an ethically sound alternative to the current prohibition against assisting in suicide is not clear, but Parliament must now respond in order to address human rights issues and the call to legalise medically assisted suicide.

Closed die forging is one common metal forming process used for making a range of products. Enough load is to exert on the billet for deforming the material. This forging load is dependent on work material property and frictional characteristics of the work material with the punch and die. Several researchers worked on estimation of forging load for specific products under different process variables. Experimental data on deformation resistance and friction were used to calculate the load. In this work, theoretical estimation of forging load is made to compare this value with that obtained through LS-DYNA model facilitating the finite element analysis. Theoretical work uses slab method to assess forging load for an axi-symmetric upsetting job made of lead. Theoretical forging load estimate shows slightly higher value than the experimental one; however, simulation shows quite close matching with experimental forging load, indicating possibility of wide use of this simulation software.

Shock compression and impact studies could benefit from the ability to increase impact velocities that can be achieved with gun systems. Single-stage guns have modest performance (0.2-2 km/s) that limits their utility for high-pressure and high-velocity studies, while more capable systems are expensive and complex. We are developing a technique that uses a low-strength sabot with a tapered die to increase the impact velocity without modifying the gun itself. Impact of the projectile with the die generates a converging shock wave in the sabot that acts to accelerate the front of the projectile, while decelerating the rear portion. Preliminary experiments using this technique have observed a velocity enhancement of up to a factor of two.

The new guidelines for undergraduate courses in the field of health care imply a need to prepare professionals to deal with life and death. To study death and dying in the context of nurse education means to contribute to the humanization of education and to preparing humanistic and critical professionals. We performed individual interviews with professors so that each could reveal their thoughts about experiencing death and dying in the educational relationship between nurse/professor and the nursing student in the hospital environment. Content analysis was performed using ideas close to those of Heidegger, revealing that education towards the concept and experience of death appears to be possible only if there is reflection regarding human existence, thoughts, and accepting finitude. By understanding one's own attitudes towards death and existence, it is possible to perceive possibilities in education for care in the death process.

Annas criticizes the legal reasoning in a District of Columbia Superior Court case, In re A.C. (1987). A dying woman who was 26 weeks pregnant agreed to attempts to prolong her life to give her fetus a better chance to be born healthy. When death seemed imminent, she appeared to refuse a cesarean section, and a Superior Court judge was called to the hospital on the advice of its legal counsel. After hearing from lawyers for the hospital, the patient, and the fetus, the judge ordered the surgery, and an appeals court concurred. The infant died two hours after delivery, the mother two days later. Annas argues that the decision rested on several false assumptions about the legal rights and obligations of pregnant women. In his view, the judges "justified their brutal and unprincipled opinion on the basis that [A.C.] was almost dead," and therefore the fetus's interests outweighed hers.

In considering the patient's right to a certain quality of dying, this essay outlines how the legal and ethical justifications for passive euthanasia depend on the doctrine of acts and omissions. It is suggested that this doctrine is untenable and that alternative justifications are needed. The development of the modern mechanistic approach to death is traced, showing that a possible basis for an humane way of death lies in a reacceptance of a metaphysical concept of life. PMID:1100831

Sarah L. Kieweg had her own nice surprise when the University of Central Florida contacted her. She understood quite a bit about her father's pioneering work on artificial intelligence in the 1990s. Still, in 2006, eight years after he died of a heart attack, at age 50, the call from the university came out of the blue: some of James R. Driscoll's…

A method for spray forming manufacturing of near-net-shape molds, dies and related toolings, wherein liquid material such as molten metal, metallic alloys, or polymers are atomized into fine droplets by a high temperature, high velocity gas and deposited onto a pattern. Quenching of the atomized droplets provides a heat sink, thereby allowing undercooled and partially solidified droplets to be formed in-flight. Composites can be formed by combining the atomized droplets with solid particles such as whiskers or fibers.

A wet vibratory procedure for the removal of burrs from die castings is described. In this process synthetic abrasive chips and detergent solutions are agitated with the work in such a way as to produce a spiral circulatory movement. Details of various forms of vibrator basin and shapes of abrasive are illustrated. The automation of deburring is illustrated through the application of vibrators of spiral design in combination with transport and drying devices.

If some form of assisted dying is to be legalised, we are likely to hear voices of discontent, not least from the medical profession and some of its members, who might be expected to provide the service. The profession generally favours a position of opposition, premised on an ethic of 'caring not killing', which might be said to convey its 'professional conscience'. There will, of course, also be individual conscientious objectors. In this article, we initially explore the nature and sources of conscience and we argue that conscience does merit respect. We also recognise that professionals, qua professionals, are bound to serve their patients, some of whom will want (and may be entitled to) that which their doctors do not wish to provide. Reflecting on the different values in issue, we suggest that there is a case for principled compromise which would afford professionals a limited right to conscientiously object, while also protecting patients. We then relate these reflections to assisted dying specifically. In the absence of any definitive steer from the purported integrity of medicine, we suspect that the profession could adopt a neutral stance on this divisive issue. We nevertheless anticipate individual objections if the law does move to embrace assisted dying, and we argue that such objections should be respected, according to the terms of the compromise model we defend.

A prototype die-to-database high-resolution reticle defect inspection system has been developed for 32nm and below logic reticles, and 4X Half Pitch (HP) production and 3X HP development memory reticles. These nodes will use predominantly 193nm immersion lithography (with some layers double patterned), although EUV may also be used. Many different reticle types may be used for these generations including: binary (COG, EAPSM), simple tritone, complex tritone, high transmission, dark field alternating (APSM), mask enhancer, CPL, and EUV. Finally, aggressive model based OPC is typically used, which includes many small structures such as jogs, serifs, and SRAF (sub-resolution assist features), accompanied by very small gaps between adjacent structures. The architecture and performance of the prototype inspection system is described. This system is designed to inspect the aforementioned reticle types in die-todatabase mode. Die-to-database inspection results are shown on standard programmed defect test reticles, as well as advanced 32nm logic, and 4X HP and 3X HP memory reticles from industry sources. Direct comparisons with currentgeneration inspection systems show measurable sensitivity improvement and a reduction in false detections.

Soft ferromagnetic Fe-based bulk metallic glass key-shaped specimens with a maximum and minimum width of 25.4 and 5 mm, respectively, were successfully produced using a high pressure die casting (HPDC) method, The influence of die material, alloy temperature and flow rate on the microstructure, thermal stability and soft ferromagnetic properties has been studied. The results suggest that a steel die in which the molten metal flows at low rate and high temperature can be used to produce completely glassy samples. This can be attributed to the laminar filling of the mold and to a lower heat transfer coefficient, which avoids the skin effect in the steel mold. In addition, magnetic measurements reveal that the amorphous structure of the material is maintained throughout the key-shaped samples. Although it is difficult to control the flow and cooling rate of the molten metal in the corners of the key due to different cross sections, this can be overcome by proper tool geometry. The present results confirm that HPDC is a suitable method for the casting of Fe-based bulk glassy alloys even with complex geometries for a broad range of applications. PMID:27725780

Soft ferromagnetic Fe-based bulk metallic glass key-shaped specimens with a maximum and minimum width of 25.4 and 5 mm, respectively, were successfully produced using a high pressure die casting (HPDC) method, The influence of die material, alloy temperature and flow rate on the microstructure, thermal stability and soft ferromagnetic properties has been studied. The results suggest that a steel die in which the molten metal flows at low rate and high temperature can be used to produce completely glassy samples. This can be attributed to the laminar filling of the mold and to a lower heat transfer coefficient, which avoids the skin effect in the steel mold. In addition, magnetic measurements reveal that the amorphous structure of the material is maintained throughout the key-shaped samples. Although it is difficult to control the flow and cooling rate of the molten metal in the corners of the key due to different cross sections, this can be overcome by proper tool geometry. The present results confirm that HPDC is a suitable method for the casting of Fe-based bulk glassy alloys even with complex geometries for a broad range of applications.

This study evaluated the reproducibility of die position using two removable die systems and two die stones. Poly(vinyl siloxane) impressions were made of a stainless steel, U-shaped arch with four evenly spaced abutments. Six groups were evaluated: Zeiser system/Fuji Rock; Zeiser system/Die Keen; solid cast/Fuji Rock; solid cast/Die Keen; Fuji Rock/Pindex; and Die Keen/Pindex. An optical comparator was used to measure the height of each abutment, the distance between the anterior abutments, and the distance between the posterior abutments. The Zeiser system with either Fuji Rock or Die Keen yielded the greatest accuracy. Die Keen exhibited more linear expansion than Fuji Rock, and solid casts had less distortion than the Pindex system.

... medlineplus.gov/news/fullstory_164426.html Most U.S. Kids Who Die From Flu Are Unvaccinated Researchers estimate ... Researchers found that about three-quarters of U.S. kids who died of flu complications between 2010 and ...

The paper deals with selection and evaluation of milling strategies, available in CAM systems and applicable when complicated shape parts are produced, such as forming dies. A method to obtain samples is proposed and this stems from real forming die surface machined by proper strategies. The strategy applicability for the whole part - forming die - is reviewed by the particular specimen evaluation. The presented methodology has been verified by machining model die and comparing it to the production procedure proposed in other CAM systems.

Over the last ten years, we have seen an explosion in the use of simulation-based techniques to improve the engineering, construction, and operation of GM production tools. The impact has been as profound as the overall switch to CAD/CAM from the old manual design and construction methods. The changeover to N/C machining from duplicating milling machines brought advances in accuracy and speed to our construction activity. It also brought significant reductions in fitting sculptured surfaces. Changing over to CAD design brought similar advances in accuracy, and today's use of solid modeling has enhanced that accuracy gain while finally leading to the reduction in lead time and cost through the development of parametric techniques. Elimination of paper drawings for die design, along with the process of blueprinting and distribution, provided the savings required to install high capacity computer servers, high-speed data transmission lines and integrated networks. These historic changes in the application of CAE technology in manufacturing engineering paved the way for the implementation of simulation to all aspects of our business. The benefits are being realized now, and the future holds even greater promise as the simulation techniques mature and expand. Every new line of dies is verified prior to casting for interference free operation. Sheet metal forming simulation validates the material flow, eliminating the high costs of physical experimentation dependent on trial and error methods of the past. Integrated forming simulation and die structural analysis and optimization has led to a reduction in die size and weight on the order of 30% or more. The latest techniques in factory simulation enable analysis of automated press lines, including all stamping operations with corresponding automation. This leads to manufacturing lines capable of running at higher levels of throughput, with actual results providing the capability of two or more additional strokes per

Context. The dying radio sources represent a very interesting and largely unexplored stage of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) evolution. They are considered to be very rare, and almost all of the few known ones were found in galaxy clusters. However, considering the small number detected so far, it has not been possible to draw any firm conclusions about their X-ray environment. Aims. We present X-ray observations performed with the Chandra satellite of the three galaxy clusters Abell 2276, ZwCl 1829.3+6912, and RX J1852.1+5711, which harbor at their center a dying radio source with an ultra-steep spectrum that we recently discovered. Methods. We analyzed the physical properties of the X-ray emitting gas surrounding these elusive radio sources. We determined the global X-ray properties of the clusters, derived the azimuthally averaged profiles of metal abundance, gas temperature, density, and pressure. Furthermore, we estimated the total mass profiles. Results. The large-scale X-ray emission is regular and spherical, suggesting a relaxed state for these systems. Indeed, we found that the three clusters are also characterized by significant enhancements in the metal abundance and declining temperature profiles toward the central region. For all these reasons, we classified RX J1852.1+5711, Abell 2276, and ZwCl 1829.3+6912 as cool-core galaxy clusters. Conclusions. We calculated the non-thermal pressure of the radio lobes assuming that the radio sources are in the minimum energy condition. For all dying sources we found that this is on average about one to two orders of magnitude lower than that of the external gas, as found for many other radio sources at the center of galaxy groups and clusters. We found marginal evidence for the presence of X-ray surface brightness depressions coincident with the fossil radio lobes of the dying sources in A2276 and ZwCl 1829.3+691. We estimated the outburst age and energy output for these two dying sources. The energy power from

Context. The dying radio sources represent a very interesting and largely unexplored stage of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) evolution. They are considered to be very rare, and almost all of the few known ones were found in galaxy clusters. However, considering the small number detected so far, it has not been possible to draw any firm conclusions about their X-ray environment. Aims: We present X-ray observations performed with the Chandra satellite of the three galaxy clusters Abell 2276, ZwCl 1829.3+6912, and RX J1852.1+5711, which harbor at their center a dying radio source with an ultra-steep spectrum that we recently discovered. Methods: We analyzed the physical properties of the X-ray emitting gas surrounding these elusive radio sources. We determined the global X-ray properties of the clusters, derived the azimuthally averaged profiles of metal abundance, gas temperature, density, and pressure. Furthermore, we estimated the total mass profiles. Results: The large-scale X-ray emission is regular and spherical, suggesting a relaxed state for these systems. Indeed, we found that the three clusters are also characterized by significant enhancements in the metal abundance and declining temperature profiles toward the central region. For all these reasons, we classified RX J1852.1+5711, Abell 2276, and ZwCl 1829.3+6912 as cool-core galaxy clusters. Conclusions: We calculated the non-thermal pressure of the radio lobes assuming that the radio sources are in the minimum energy condition. For all dying sources we found that this is on average about one to two orders of magnitude lower than that of the external gas, as found for many other radio sources at the center of galaxy groups and clusters. We found marginal evidence for the presence of X-ray surface brightness depressions coincident with the fossil radio lobes of the dying sources in A2276 and ZwCl 1829.3+691. We estimated the outburst age and energy output for these two dying sources. The energy power from

Possibilities of control of the level of accumulated damage in dies for cold and hot forming as a function of the coercivity are considered. The coercivity of the material of dies for hot forging and cold stamping is studied. Formulas are obtained for determining the coercivity in steels for hot die forging in the state as delivered.

Examined sociodemographic background, nursing unit, amount of experience caring for dying patients, death anxiety, and attitudes toward working with dying patients among 56 nurses in palliative, surgical, and pediatric services. Work setting was found to be a more significant force in shaping attitudes toward caring for the dying than was…

Female die facilitates the removal of a sheet metal structure from a die used for explosive forming of the metal. The female die consists of a smooth conical frustum made of fiber glass with a cured epoxy-resin surface on which a molded grid pattern made of a polyurethane resin is overlaid.

A cascaded die mounting device and method using spring contacts for die attachment, with or without metallic bonds between the contacts and the dies, is disclosed. One embodiment is for the direct refrigerant cooling of an inverter/converter carrying higher power levels than most of the low power circuits previously taught, and does not require using a heat sink.

A cascaded die mounting device and method using spring contacts for die attachment, with or without metallic bonds between the contacts and the dies, is disclosed. One embodiment is for the direct refrigerant cooling of an inverter/converter carrying higher power levels than most of the low power circuits previously taught, and does not require using a heat sink.

Direct laser melting (DLM) technology can be applied to restore damaged steel dies. To understand the effects of DLM process parameters such as the laser power and scan rate, a series of experiments was conducted to determine the optimal operating parameters. To investigate the laser melting characteristics, the depth/height ratio, depth/width ratio and micro-hardness as a function of the laser energy density were analyzed. Fe-Cr and Fe-Ni layers were deposited on a steel die with 11.38 J/mm2 of energy input. The wear-resistance and the friction coefficient of the deposited layer were investigated by a pin-on-disk test. The penetration depth decreased as the scan rate increased as a consequence of the shorter interaction time. The depth/height ratio of the deposited layer decreased with an increase in the scan rate. The depth/width ratio increased as laser power increased and the scan rate decreased. The deposition shape of the Fe-Ni powder was relatively shallow and wide compared with that of the Fe-Cr powder. The scan rate had a substantial effect upon the deposition height, with the Fe-Cr powder melting more than the Fe-Ni powder. The micro-hardness of the layer melted from the powders is higher than that of the substrate, and the hardness of the laser-surface-melted layer without any metal powder is higher compared to that of the metal-powder-melted layer. The direct laser melting process with Fe-Ni powder represents a superior method when restoring a steel die when the bead shape and hardness of the restored surface are important outcome considerations.

In this article I discuss briefly a proposal for the recovery of the essential content of the concept of human nature through the careful attention to ethics which must be received by a terminal ill person in the last phase of life. I propose palliative medicine as a way to rescue the human mind in the life of dying patients to whom the fullness of nature and human dignity belongs. It's about recovering the original medical ethos through the exercise of the virtues through which staff can be trained to recognize the weak, the sick, miserable, the dispossessed are important, are worthy of medicine, used for science: are human and quite valid.

Fraley offers a provocative behavior-analytic perspective on the process of slow death. I argue that the value of his insightful analysis is severely compromised by his insistence on equating behavioral competence with personal worth. Fraley errs by proclaiming that his philosophy is science, that existing social practices are essential human attributes, and that idiosyncratic reinforcing stimuli are universally functional. Further, his philosophical tenet is fundamentally inconsistent with his genuinely humane goal of understanding and promoting protracted dying as a behavioral rather than metaphysical phenomenon. PMID:22478294

An important component of end-of-life education is to provide health professionals with content related to dying, loss, and grief. The authors describe the strategies used to develop and offer a blended course (integration of classroom face-to-face learning with online learning) that addressed the sensitive and often emotional content associated with grieving and bereavement. Using Kolb’s experiential learning theory, a set of 4 online learning modules, with engaging, interactive elements, was created. Course evaluations demonstrated the success of the blended course in comparison to the traditional, exclusive face-to-face approach. PMID:19412055

Results and progress are reported for a course of work to establish an efficient reliability test for the die-attach of CPV cell assemblies. Test vehicle design consists of a ~1 cm2 multijunction cell attached to a substrate via several processes. A thermal cycling sequence is developed in a test-to-failure protocol. Methods of detecting a failed or failing joint are prerequisite for this work; therefore both in-situ and non-destructive methods, including infrared imaging techniques, are being explored as a method to quickly detect non-ideal or failing bonds.

A method is disclosed for spray forming manufacturing of near-net-shape molds, dies and related toolings, wherein liquid material such as molten metal, metallic alloys, or polymers are atomized into fine droplets by a high temperature, high velocity gas and deposited onto a pattern. Quenching of the atomized droplets provides a heat sink, thereby allowing undercooled and partially solidified droplets to be formed in-flight. Composites can be formed by combining the atomized droplets with solid particles such as whiskers or fibers. 17 figs.

A system for the spray forming manufacturing of near-net-shape molds, dies and related toolings, wherein liquid material such as molten metal, metallic alloys, or polymers are atomized into fine droplets by a high temperature, high velocity gas and deposited onto a pattern. Quenching of the atomized droplets provides a heat sink, thereby allowing undercooled and partially solidified droplets to be formed in-flight. Composites can be formed by combining the atomized droplets with solid particles such as powders, whiskers or fibers.

This paper reviews the sentences dictated between 1993 and 2002 by the Supreme Courts of Canada and the Unites States, the House of Lords and Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the European Human Rights Court, about the validity of the legal prohibition of assistance for suicide. These sentences constituted a judicial consensus about the right to die. This consensus recognized the legal right of patients to reject medical treatments but did not recognize the right to be assisted by a physician to commit suicide. This exclusion is changing in the recent case law of Canada and the United Kingdom, which accepts the fundamental right of terminal patients to medically assisted suicide.

NASA analyzes electrical, electronic, and electromechanical (EEE) parts used in space vehicles to understand failure modes of these components. The diode is an EEE part critical to NASA missions that can fail due to excessive voiding in the die attach. Metallography, one established method for studying the die attach, is a time-intensive, destructive, and equivocal process whereby mechanical grinding of the diodes is performed to reveal voiding in the die attach. Problems such as die attach pull-out tend to complicate results and can lead to erroneous conclusions. The objective of this study is to determine if three-dimensional computed tomography (3DCT), a nondestructive technique, is a viable alternative to metallography for detecting die attach voiding. The die attach voiding in two- dimensional planes created from 3DCT scans was compared to several physical cross sections of the same diode to determine if the 3DCT scan accurately recreates die attach volumetric variability

Die Starter, a new system developed by ESI Group, allows the user to drastically reduce the number of iterations during the early tool process feasibility. This innovative system automatically designs the first quick die face, generating binder and addendum surfaces (NURBS surfaces) by taking account the full die process. Die Starter also improves the initial die face based on feasibility criteria (avoiding splits, wrinkles) by automatically generating the geometrical modifications of the binder and addendum and the bead restraining forces with minimal material usage. This paper presents a description of the new system and the methodology of Die Starter. Some industrial examples are presented from the part geometry to final die face including automatic developed flanges, part on binder and inner binder.

In an organism, cell death occurs at many different sites and in many different forms. It is frequently part of normal development or serves to maintain cell homeostasis. In other cases, cell death not only occurs due to injury, disease or infection, but also as a consequence of various therapeutic interventions. However, in all of these scenarios, the immune system has to react to the dying and dead cells and decide whether to mount an immune response, to remain quiet or to initiate healing and repopulation. This is essential for the organism, testified by many diseases that are associated with malfunctioning in the cell death process, the corpse removal, or the ensuing immune responsiveness. Therefore, dying cells generally have to be considered as instructors of the immune system. How this happens and which signals and pathways contribute to modulate or shape the immune response is still elusive in many conditions. The articles presented in this Special Issue address such open questions. They highlight that the context in which cell death occurs will not only influence the cell death process itself, but also affect the surrounding cellular milieu, how the generation and presence of 'eat me' signals can have an impact on cell clearance, and that the exact nature of the residual 'debris' and how it is processed are fundamental to determining the immunological consequences. Hopefully, these articles initiate new approaches and new experiments to complete our understanding of how cell death and the immune system interact with each other.

Heating and cooling air for an aircraft interior is transported using metal ducts. These ducts vary in size from a few centimeters to twelve centimeters in diameter. In the assembly of aircraft air ducts, coupling is swaged onto the ducts. In assuring the mechanical dies are operating properly the die parting welt mark is inspected. The current method of visual inspection and checking with calipers does not allow implementation of statistical process control methods. In an effort to improve this process check, a new measurement method is being developed. A feasibility study indicated that a structured light laser system would be a good approach. A few requirements are: it must be portable to be used at different locations within the fabrication area, it must be fast, it should be easy to use by the mechanic, the reading must be accurate, a hard copy print out is required, and it must be non-destructive. Due to the mechanical configuration of the duct and coupling, a camera with magnification optics is used. The measurement of the bump has a maximum height of 50.8 microns. The prototype systems uses computer vision and custom software written in the C language. This paper discusses different measurement methods tested and the benefits of each technology. The development of a specialized system is justified for production use. This paper describes the prototype system and some of its configuration for factory testing.

In recent years, medical and allied health publications have begun to address various topics on spirituality. Scholars have posited numerous definitions of spirituality and wrestled with the notion of spiritual pain and suffering. Researchers have examined the relationship between spirituality and health and explored, among other topics, patients' perceptions of their spiritual needs, particularly at the end of life. This paper summarizes salient evidence pertaining to spirituality, dying patients, their health care providers, and family or informal caregivers. We examine the challenging issue of how to define spirituality, and provide a brief overview of the state of evidence addressing interventions that may enhance or bolster spiritual aspects of dying. There are many pressing questions that need to be addressed within the context of spiritual issues and end-of-life care. Efforts to understand more fully the constructs of spiritual well-being, transcendence, hope, meaning, and dignity, and to correlate them with variables and outcomes such as quality of life, pain control, coping with loss, and acceptance are warranted. Researchers should also frame these issues from both faith-based and secular perspectives, differing professional viewpoints, and in diverse cultural settings. In addition, longitudinal studies will enable patients' changing experiences and needs to be assessed over time. Research addressing spiritual dimensions of personhood offers an opportunity to expand the horizons of contemporary palliative care, thereby decreasing suffering and enhancing the quality of time remaining to those who are nearing death.

The multiple die forming (MDF) technology is suitable for flexible manufacturing, and it affords several advantages including its applicability to various forming processes such as single-curved surface forming, and double-curved surface forming. In sheet metal forming process, the elastic recovery has become a problem. Therefore, the stretch forming process is applied MDF technology to reduce elastic recovery effect. Numerical simulation is carried out for a saddle-type surface forming using ABAQUS. Every simulation case performs spring-back analysis to find elastic recovery effect after forming simulation. In this simulation, urethane pads are defined based on a hyperelastic material model as a cushion for the smoothness of forming surface. The elastic recovery deformation behavior is also investigated to consider the exact result after the last forming process, and then, the actual experiments are performed to confirm the formability of this forming process. By comparing the simulation and the experimental results, the tendency of the decreased amount of elastic recovery from the application of stretch process is verified. Consequently, it is confirmed that the multiple die stretch forming process has the capability and feasibility of being used to manufacture the curved surfaces of sheet metal.

Programmed cell death (PCD), a genetically regulated cell suicide program, is ubiquitous in the living world. In contrast to multicellular organisms, in which cells cooperate for the good of the organism, in unicells the cell is the organism and PCD presents a fundamental evolutionary problem. Why should an organism actively kill itself as opposed to dying in a nonprogrammed way? Proposed arguments vary from PCD in unicells being maladaptive to the assumption that it is an extreme form of altruism. To test whether PCD could be beneficial to nearby cells, we induced programmed and nonprogrammed death in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Cellular contents liberated during non-PCD are detrimental to others, while the contents released during PCD are beneficial. The number of cells in growing cultures was used to measure fitness. Thermostability studies revealed that the beneficial effect of the PCD supernatant most likely involves simple heat-stable biomolecules. Non-PCD supernatant contains heat-sensitive molecules like cellular proteases and chlorophyll. These data indicate that the mode of death affects the origin and maintenance of PCD. The way in which an organism dies can have beneficial or deleterious effects on the fitness of its neighbors.

To assess the possible relationship between exogenous surfactant therapy and pulmonary hemorrhage in premature infants, we compared autopsy findings in 15 infants treated with exogenous surfactant and in 29 who died before the introduction of surfactant therapy. Infants who met the following criteria were included: birth weight 501 to 1500 gm, survival 4 hours to 7 days, and no congenital anomalies. Average birth weight, gestational age, and age at death were equivalent for the two groups. High rates of pulmonary hemorrhage were present in both groups (treated 80% vs untreated 83%). The untreated group had higher incidences of interstitial hemorrhage and lung hematomas and significantly more large interstitial hemorrhages: 31% untreated versus 0% treated (p < 0.05). The overall rate of intraalveolar hemorrhage was similar in the two groups, but surfactant-treated infants were more likely to have extensive intraalveolar hemorrhage: 53% versus 14% (p < 0.05). Most surfactant-treated infants who survived more than 24 hours had extensive intraalveolar hemorrhage (8/9). Patients who had extensive intraalveolar hemorrhage, with or without prior surfactant therapy, frequently had clinically significant pulmonary hemorrhage (7/12). These findings indicate that infants who die after surfactant therapy have higher rates of a specific type of pulmonary hemorrhage--extensive intraalveolar hemorrhage.

Hot chamber die casting process is designed to achieve high dimensional accuracy for small products by forcing molten metal under high pressure into reusable moulds, called dies. The present research work is aimed at study of some parameters (as a case study of spring adjuster) on cast component properties in hot chamber die casting process. Three controllable factors of the hot chamber die casting process (namely: pressure at second phase, metal pouring temperature and die opening time) were studied at three levels each by Taguchi's parametric approach and single-response optimization was conducted to identify the main factors controlling surface hardness, dimensional accuracy and weight of the casting. Castings were produced using aluminium alloy, at recommended parameters through hot chamber die casting process. Analysis shows that in hot chamber die casting process the percentage contribution of second phase pressure, die opening time, metal pouring temperature for surface hardness is 82.48, 9.24 and 6.78 % respectively. While in the case of weight of cast component the contribution of second phase pressure is 94.03 %, followed by metal pouring temperature and die opening time (4.58 and 0.35 % respectively). Further for dimensional accuracy contribution of die opening time is 76.97 %, metal pouring temperature is 20.05 % and second phase pressure is 1.56 %. Confirmation experiments were conducted at an optimal condition showed that the surface hardness, dimensional accuracy and weight of the castings were improved significantly.

Polymer extrusion is one of the most important manufacturing methods used today. A flat die, is commonly used to extrude thin thermoplastics sheets. If the channel geometry in a flat die is not designed properly, the velocity at the die exit may be perturbed, which can affect the thickness across the width of the die. The ultimate goal of this work is to optimize the die channel geometry in a way that a uniform velocity distribution is obtained at the die exit. While optimizing the exit velocity distribution, we have coupled three-dimensional extrusion simulation software Rem3D®, with an automatic constraint optimization algorithm to control the maximum allowable pressure drop in the die; according to this constraint we can control the pressure in the die (decrease the pressure while minimizing the velocity dispersion across the die exit). For this purpose, we investigate the effect of the design variables in the objective and constraint function by using Taguchi method. In the second study we use the global response surface method with Kriging interpolation to optimize flat die geometry. Two optimization results are presented according to the imposed constraint on the pressure. The optimum is obtained with a very fast convergence (2 iterations). To respect the constraint while ensuring a homogeneous distribution of velocity, the results with a less severe constraint offers the best minimum.

Die-offs of cordgrass are pervasive throughout western Atlantic salt marshes, yet understanding of the mechanisms precipitating these events is limited. We tested whether herbivory by the native crab, Sesarma reticulatum, is generating die-offs of cordgrass that are currently occurring on Cape Cod, Massachusetts (U.S.A.), by manipulating crab access to cordgrass transplanted into die-off areas and healthy vegetation. We surveyed 12 Cape Cod marshes to investigate whether the extent of cordgrass die-off on creek banks, where die-offs are concentrated, was related to local Sesarma grazing intensity and crab density. We then used archived aerial images to examine whether creek bank die-off areas have expanded over the past 2 decades and tested the hypothesis that release from predation, leading to elevated Sesarma densities, is triggering cordgrass die-offs by tethering crabs where die-offs are pervasive and where die-offs have not yet been reported. Intensity of crab grazing on transplanted cordgrass was an order of magnitude higher in die-off areas than in adjacent vegetation. Surveys revealed that Sesarma herbivory has denuded nearly half the creek banks in Cape Cod marshes, and differences in crab-grazing intensity among marshes explained >80% of variation in the extent of the die-offs. Moreover, the rate of die-off expansion and area of marsh affected have more than doubled since 2000. Crab-tethering experiments suggest that release from predation has triggered elevated crab densities that are driving these die-offs, indicating that disruption of predator-prey interactions may be generating the collapse of marsh ecosystems previously thought to be exclusively under bottom-up control.

A unique technology for multichip module production is presented. The technology, called Laser Tabbed Die (L-TAB), consists of a method for forming surface-mount-type {open_quotes}gull wing{close_quotes} interconnects on bare dice. The dice are temporarily bonded to a sacrificial substrate which has a polymer thin film coated onto it. The gull wings are formed on the side of the die with a direct-write laser patterning process which allows vertical as well as horizontal image formation. Using the laser patterning system, trenches are formed in a positive electrodeposited photoresist (EDPR) which is plated onto a metal seed layer, allowing copper to be electroplated through the resultant mask. After stripping the resist and the metal seed layer, the polymer film on the substrate is dissolved, releasing the chip with the {open_quotes}gull wings{close_quotes} intact. The chips are then bonded onto a circuit board or permanent substrate with solder or conductive adhesive.

Consisting of densely vegetated platforms raised slightly above sea level, and interwoven by channels of water meandering inland from the coast, tidal marshlands help buffer against strong storm surges, protect against flooding, limit coastal erosion, and provide a valuable habitat for a vast array of coastal species. Continued global climate change, however, has researchers worried about the stability of coastal marshlands in light of rising temperatures and sea levels and a declining ocean pH. Of particular concern over shorter time scales are the potential consequences for marsh dynamics should there be a mass die-off of marshland vegetation. Investigations of the effects of mass vegetative death on marshland behavior have been conducted almost exclusively using computer simulations, but Temmerman et al. sought to bolster this previous research with empirical evidence.

Following a ruling by the House of Lords in 2009, the Director of Public Prosecutions issued guidance setting out the circumstances that would be likely to lead to the prosecution of a person for encouraging or assisting suicide under the Suicide Act 1961, section 2. In that guidance, a district nurse assisting a person to commit suicide would be one of the circumstances that would lead to prosecution. The Director of Public Prosecutions recently unexpectedly amended her guidance in relation to health professionals. This article discusses the implications of the amendment and argues that it will cause confusion among district nurses and give rise to an unrealistic expectation about the role a district nurse can lawfully take in assisting a person to die.

The objective was to identify the profile of production and analyze perceptions, feelings and confrontations on the process of death and dying in the practice evidenced in nursing scientific production in the period 1994 to 2009. There was a qualitative, descriptive research, developed through a systematic literature review with metasynthesis from the meta-ethnographic method. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria, this set was subjected to quality assessment checklist with Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Subjects perceive this process as a transition, separation and finitude. This is permeated with feelings of frustration and powerlessness and the most effective interventions to this issue is the development of coping strategies that vary with the reality of each individual.

Men who are raising dependent children after their spouses or partners have died from cancer face unique challenges adjusting to single parenthood while managing their grief and the grief of their children. Unfortunately, the needs of those widowers have been overlooked in the clinical literature and no published interventions are designed specifically for that population. The current article details the creation and implementation of a peer support group for fathers recently widowed because of their wives' deaths from cancer. Initial observations and emergent themes from the group are described. Group members suggested that they benefited from participation in the support group and that this form of psychosocial support is a promising intervention for fathers in similar circumstances.

This article examines the legal regulation of active voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide in Australia. The Dying with Dignity Bill 2009 (Tas), which was recently defeated by the Tasmanian Parliament, is discussed, as well as other jurisdictions' past and present legislative developments in this context. The recent case law is also considered to ascertain how "mercy killing" or assisted suicide cases are dealt with by the criminal justice system, with particular reference to the case of R v Justins [2008] NSWSC 1194. This is followed by a critical evaluation of the key arguments for and against euthanasia. The article concludes by examining the significance of the Tasmanian Bill and the implications of such legislation.

Franz Schrekers opera "Die Gezeichneten" is the artistically answer to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis. The proceedings in this drama discuss some principles of psychoanalyses. The figures show typical psychological mechanisms like repression, sublimation or regression and also the typical symptoms of neurosis. During the date of origin of the opera, Freud's method of psychoanalysis becomes well known and a lot of physicians and psychologists begin with their education in it. Themes like the theory of sexuality by Freud were discussed in the Vienna society. The story contains all mechanisms of psychoanalysis and discloses the psychopathology of the society of "fín de siègle" on the end of the 19th century. Franz Schreker's opera is like a forecasting of the nemesis, which in Europe occurs two decades later. The figures of the opera show the central facts of psychoanalysis and their artificial expression in music and performance.

We examined long-term data on water chemistry of Lake Rachelsee (Germany) following the changes in acidic depositions in central Europe since 1980s. Despite gradual chemical recovery of Rachelsee, its biological recovery was delayed. In 1999, lake recovery was abruptly reversed by a coincident forest die-back, which resulted in elevated terrestrial export of nitrate and ionic aluminum lasting ~5 years. This re-acidification episode provided unique opportunity to study plankton recovery in the rapidly recovering lake water after the abrupt decline in nitrate leaching from the catchment. There were sudden changes both in lake water chemistry and in plankton biomass structure, such as decreased bacterial filaments, increased phytoplankton biomass, and rotifer abundance. The shift from dominance of heterotrophic to autotrophic organisms suggested their substantial release from severe phosphorus stress. Such a rapid change in plankton structure in a lake recovering from acidity has, to the best of our knowledge, not been previously documented.

The development of a vacuum die-casting process for producing silicon sheet suitable for photovoltaic cells with a terrestrial efficiency greater than 12 percent and having the potential to be scaled for large quantity production is considered. The initial approach includes: (1) obtaining mechanical design parameters by using boron nitride, which has been shown to non-wetting to silicon; (2) optimizing silicon nitride material composition and coatings by sessile drop experiments; (3) testing effectiveness of fluoride salt interfacial media with a graphite mold; and (4) testing the effect of surface finish using both boron nitride and graphite. When the material and mechanical boundary conditions are established, a finalized version of the prototype assembly will be constructed and the casting variables determined.

Premature death has been long recognised as a manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Three lines of evidence can explain why patients with RA die prematurely and why the mortality gap between patients with RA and the general population appears to widening. First, patients with RA have a higher risk of several serious comorbid conditions and they tend to experience worse outcomes after the occurrence of these illnesses. Second, patients with RA do not appear to receive optimal primary or secondary preventive care. And third, the systemic inflammation and immune dysfunction associated with RA appears to promote and accelerate comorbidity and mortality. This paper provides a brief summary and interpretation of the data underlying these findings. Together, these results provide a compelling argument in favour of a focused research programme aimed specifically at eliminating premature death in patients with RA.

Luminescence dating of sediments has not been used extensively for dating Middle Stone Age deposits in South Africa, despite its potential for contributing to a poorly dated record. Such deposits at Die Kelders cave, on the southern South African coast, consist of narrow bands of occupation debris separated by thicker layers of aeolian sands containing much less evidence of occupation. Homogeneous, aeolian sediments are usually considered ideal for luminescence dating. Here we report luminescence analyses of five samples from these sands that demonstrate sufficient bleaching prior to burial to validate dating and that yield ages of about 60-70 ka, in agreement with other evidence from sedimentology, archaeology and electron spin resonance. Lack of significant differences in the ages suggests the deposits accumulated fairly rapidly during the early part of the Last Glaciation.

In 1983-1984, the sea urchin Diadema antillarum suffered mass mortality throughout the Caribbean, Florida, and Bermuda. The demise of this herbivore contributed to a phase shift of Caribbean reefs from coral-dominated to alga-dominated communities. A compilation of published data of D. antillarum population densities shows that there has been moderate recovery since 1983, with the highest rates on islands of the eastern Caribbean. On the average the current population densities are approximately 12% of those before the die-off, apparently because of recruitment limitation, but the exact factors that are constraining the recovery are unclear. Scattered D. antillarum cohorts in some localities and aggregation of settled individuals in shallow water have created zones of higher herbivory in which juvenile coral recruitment, survivorship, and growth are higher than they are in alga-dominated areas. Unlike other stressors on Caribbean coral reefs, recent changes in D. antillarum populations progress toward aiding the recovery of coral cover.

A new high fluidity zinc high pressure die casting alloy, termed the HF alloy, was developed during laboratory trials and proven in industrial production. The HF alloy permits castings to be achieved with section thicknesses of 0.3 mm or less. Technology transfer activities were conducted to develop usage of the HF high fluidity alloy. These included production of a brochure and a one-hour webinar on the HF alloy. The brochure was then sent to 1,184 product designers in the Interzinc database. There was excellent reception to this mailing, and from this initial contact 5 technology transfer seminars were conducted for 81 participants from 30 companies across a wide range of business sectors. Many of the successful applications to date involve high quality surface finishes. Design and manufacturing assistance was given for development of selected applications.

It is of great importance to understand the stretching and folding mechanism in the multiflux co-extrusion die to get uniform multilayer distribution at the end of die lip in the multilayer co-extrusion processes. In this work, to understand the mechanism of the layer distribution, modeling and numerical simulation were carried out for three-dimensional flow analysis in the multilayer co-extrusion die. The multilayer flow fields were numerically visualized and analyzed on the arbitrary cross-section of the multiflux die. In addition, numerical results for the multiflux die characteristics were obtained for non-Newtonian fluids in terms of power-law index for the cross model, which will be useful for the optimal design of screw and die, simultaneously, in the multilayer co-extrusion process.

Context Measuring the quality of the dying experience is important for hospice providers. However, few instruments exist that assess the quality of one’s dying; and those that do, have not been well validated in hospice. Objectives This study tested the properties of the Quality of Death-Hospice Scale (QOD-Hospice) to provide preliminary validation data on internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, convergent validity and factorability in a hospice setting. Additionally, results of the factor analysis were used to create a brief version of the measure. Methods Bereaved informal caregivers who had provided care for a hospice patient were recruited from a large non-profit hospice. Participants completed post-death surveys, which included the QOD-Hospice and other study measures. Convergent validity was tested by exploring hypothesized associations with related instruments measuring: negative emotional states (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21); emotional grief (Texas Revised Inventory of Grief-2); social support (Lubben Social Network Scale-6); and a single item measure of satisfaction with hospice care. Results Seventy caregivers participated in the survey (40 primary caregivers, 30 secondary caregivers), most of whom were female (67%) and white (81%). The QOD-Hospice produced an alpha of 0.86, an intraclass correlation of 0.49 between caregivers of the same decedent, and was correlated with all measures testing convergent validity (P<0.05; in the hypothesized direction) and most, but not all, subscales. An exploratory factor analysis elicited two factors, Preparation (seven items) and Security (six items), which were combined to create a 13-item version of the scale, the QOD-Hospice-SF. Conclusion Although further testing of the QOD-Hospice measures is needed, preliminary evidence suggests the instruments are reliable and valid for use in hospice. PMID:25057986

Dies1/VISTA induces embryonic stem-cell differentiation, via BMP-pathway, but also acts as inflammation regulator and immune-response modulator. Dies1 inhibition in a melanoma-mouse model led to increased tumour-infiltrating T-cells and decreased tumour growth, emphasizing Dies1 relevance in tumour-microenvironment. Dies1 is involved in cell de/differentiation, inflammation and cancer processes, which mimic those associated with Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal-Transition (EMT). Despite this axis linking Dies1 with EMT and cancer, its expression, modulation and relevance in these contexts is unknown. To address this, we analysed Dies1 expression, its regulation by promoter-methylation and miR-125a-5p overexpression, and its association with BMP-pathway downstream-effectors, in a TGFβ1-induced EMT-model, cancer cell-lines and primary samples. We detected promoter-methylation as a mechanism controlling Dies1 expression in our EMT-model and in several cancer cell-lines. We showed that the relationship between Dies1 expression and BMP-pathway effectors observed in the EMT-model, was not present in all cell-lines, suggesting that Dies1 has other cell-specific effectors, beyond the BMP-pathway. We further demonstrated that: Dies1 expression loss is a recurrent event in GC, caused by promoter methylation and/or miR-125a-5p overexpression and; GC-microenvironment myofibroblasts overexpress Dies1. Our findings highlight Dies1 as a novel player in GC, with distinct roles within tumour cells and in the tumour-microenvironment.

Dies1/VISTA induces embryonic stem-cell differentiation, via BMP-pathway, but also acts as inflammation regulator and immune-response modulator. Dies1 inhibition in a melanoma-mouse model led to increased tumour-infiltrating T-cells and decreased tumour growth, emphasizing Dies1 relevance in tumour-microenvironment. Dies1 is involved in cell de/differentiation, inflammation and cancer processes, which mimic those associated with Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal-Transition (EMT). Despite this axis linking Dies1 with EMT and cancer, its expression, modulation and relevance in these contexts is unknown. To address this, we analysed Dies1 expression, its regulation by promoter-methylation and miR-125a-5p overexpression, and its association with BMP-pathway downstream-effectors, in a TGFβ1-induced EMT-model, cancer cell-lines and primary samples. We detected promoter-methylation as a mechanism controlling Dies1 expression in our EMT-model and in several cancer cell-lines. We showed that the relationship between Dies1 expression and BMP-pathway effectors observed in the EMT-model, was not present in all cell-lines, suggesting that Dies1 has other cell-specific effectors, beyond the BMP-pathway. We further demonstrated that: Dies1 expression loss is a recurrent event in GC, caused by promoter methylation and/or miR-125a-5p overexpression and; GC-microenvironment myofibroblasts overexpress Dies1. Our findings highlight Dies1 as a novel player in GC, with distinct roles within tumour cells and in the tumour-microenvironment. PMID:27721458

The cold chamber die casting process is used to produce essentially all the die cast aluminum products and about 50% of the die cast magnesium products made today. Modeling of the cold chamber die casting process and metallographic observations of cold chamber die cast products indicate that typically 5 to 20% of the shot weight is solidified in the shot sleeve before or during cavity filling. The protion of the resulting die casting which is solidified in the shot sleeve is referred to as externally solidified product, or, when identified as a casting defect, as cold flakes. This project was directed to extending the understanding of the effects of externally solidified product on the cold chamber die casting process and products to enable the production of defect-free die castings and reduce the energy associated with these products. The projected energy savings from controlling the fraction of externally solidified product in die cast components is 40 x 10 Btu through the year 2025.

Hospice is an important provider of end of life care; many children who die of cancer enroll in hospice programs. How frequently such children remain in hospice to die at home, or disenroll from hospice and die in the hospital, has not been described. A child's location of death has important implications for quality of life and parental adaptation. This represents a subanalysis of a retrospective study of 202 consecutive oncology patients who died at a single center between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2010. Of 95 children who enrolled in hospice, 82 had known location of death. Sixty (73%) died at home or an inpatient hospice unit, 15 (18%) died in the oncology unit, 5 (6%) died in the intensive care unit, and 2 (2%) died in the emergency department. The median length of hospice services was 41 days, twice the national median of 21 days reported in adults. One quarter of children disenrolled from hospice care, ultimately dying in an acute care setting. Further studies are warranted to explore the hospice experience in children, and to address modifiable factors that may impact a family's choice to withdraw from hospice care.

Sputtered coatings of Mo, W, Pt, Ag, Au, Co, Cr, Ni, Ag + Cu, Mo + Pt, Si3N4, A1N, Cr3C2, Ta5Si3, and ZrO2 were applied to a 2-inch-square, 7-inch-long thermal fatigue test specimen which was then internally water cooled and alternately immersed in molten aluminum and cooled in air. After 15,000 cycles the thermal fatigue cracks at the specimen corners were measured. Results indicate that a significant improvement in thermal fatigue resistance was obtained with platinum, molybdenum, and tungsten coatings. Metallographic examination indicates that the improvement in thermal fatigue resistance resulted from protection of the surface of the die steel from oxidation. The high yield strength and ductility of molybdenum and tungsten contributed to the better thermal fatigue resistance.

All life ends in death, but perhaps one of life's grander ironies is that it also depends on death. Cell-intrinsic suicide pathways, termed programmed cell death (PCD), are crucial for animal development, tissue homeostasis and pathogenesis. Originally, PCD was almost synonymous with apoptosis; recently, however, alternative mechanisms of PCD have been reported. Here, we provide an overview of several distinct PCD mechanisms, namely apoptosis, autophagy and necroptosis. In addition, we discuss the complex signals that emanate from dying cells, which can either trigger regeneration or instruct additional killing. Further advances in understanding the physiological roles of the various mechanisms of cell death and their associated signals will be important to selectively manipulate PCD for therapeutic purposes.

Preface All life ends in death, but perhaps one of life’s grander ironies is that it also depends on death. Cell-intrinsic suicide pathways, termed programmed cell death (PCD), are crucial for animal development, tissue homeostasis and pathogenesis. Originally, PCD was virtually synonymous with apoptosis, but recently, alternative PCD mechanisms have been reported. Here, we provide an overview of several distinct PCD mechanisms, namely apoptosis, autophagy and necroptosis. In addition, we discuss the complex signals emanating from dying cells, which can either fuel regeneration or instruct additional killing. Further advances in understanding the physiological role of multiple cell death mechanisms and associated signals will be important to selectively manipulate PCD for therapeutic purposes. PMID:25991373

Sculpture of gas and dust hi-res Size hi-res: 125 Kb Credits: ESA, NASA, HEIC and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Dying star creates sculpture of gas and dust The so-called Cat's Eye Nebula, formally catalogued NGC 6543 and seen here in this detailed view from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, is one of the most complex planetary nebulae ever seen in space. A planetary nebula forms when Sun-like stars gently eject their outer gaseous layers to form bright nebulae with amazing twisted shapes. Hubble first revealed NGC 6543's surprisingly intricate structures including concentric gas shells, jets of high-speed gas and unusual shock-induced knots of gas in 1994. This new image, taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), reveals the full beauty of a bull's-eye pattern of eleven or more concentric rings, or shells, around the Cat’s Eye. Each ‘ring’ is actually the edge of a spherical bubble seen projected onto the sky - which is why it appears bright along its outer edge. High resolution version (JPG format) 125 Kb High resolution version (TIFF format) 2569 Kb Acknowledgment: R. Corradi (Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, Spain) and Z. Tsvetanov (NASA). Sculpture of gas and dust hi-res Size hi-res: 287 Kb Credits: Nordic Optical Telescope and Romano Corradi (Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes, Spain) Dying star creates sculpture of gas and dust An enormous but extremely faint halo of gaseous material surrounds the Cat’s Eye Nebula and is over three light-years across. Some planetary nebulae been found to have halos like this one, likely formed of material ejected during earlier active episodes in the star's evolution - most likely some 50 000 to 90 000 years ago. This image was taken by Romano Corradi with the Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma in the Canary Islands. The image is constructed from two narrow-band exposures showing oxygen atoms (1800 seconds, in blue) and nitrogen atoms (1800 seconds, in red). High resolution version (JPG

The ultimate goal of this project is to increase die casting die life by using fast enough quenching rates to obtain good toughness and fatigue resistance in premium grade H-13 steel dies. The main tasks of the project were to compile a database on physical and mechanical properties of H-13; conduct gas quenching experiments to determine cooling rates of dies in difference vacuum furnaces; measure the as-quenched distortion of dies and the residual stresses; generate finite element analysis models to predict cooling rates, distortion, and residual stress of gas quenched dies; and establish rules and create PC-based expert system for prediction of cooling rates, distortion, and residual stress in vacuum/gas quenched H-13 dies. Cooling curves during gas quenching of H-13 blocks and die shapes have been measured under a variety of gas pressure. Dimensional changes caused by the gas quenching processes have been determined by accurate mapping of all surfaces with coordinate measuring machines before and after the quench. Residual stresses were determined by the ASTM E837 hole-drilling strain gage method. To facilitate the computer modeling work, a comprehensive database of H-13 mechanical and physical properties has been compiled. Finite element analysis of the heat treated shapes has been conducted using the TRAST/ABAQUS codes. There is a good fit between the predicted and measured distortion contours. However, the magnitude of the predicted distortion and residual stresses does not match well the measured values. Further fine tuning of the model is required before it can be used to predict distortion and residual stress in a quantitative manner. This last step is a prerequisite to generating rules for a reliable expert system.

This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image shows one of the most complex planetary nebulae ever seen, NGC 6543, nicknamed the 'Cat's Eye Nebula.' Hubble reveals surprisingly intricate structures including concentric gas shells, jets of high-speed gas and unusual shock-induced knots of gas. Estimated to be 1,000 years old, the nebula is a visual 'fossil record' of the dynamics and late evolution of a dying star. A preliminary interpretation suggests that the star might be a double-star system. The dynamical effects of two stars orbiting one another most easily explains the intricate structures, which are much more complicated than features seen in most planetary nebulae. (The two stars are too close together to be individually resolved by Hubble, and instead, appear as a single point of light at the center of the nebula.) According to this model, a fast 'stellar wind' of gas blown off the central star created the elongated shell of dense, glowing gas. This structure is embedded inside two larger lobes of gas blown off the star at an earlier phase. These lobes are 'pinched' by a ring of denser gas, presumably ejected along the orbital plane of the binary companion. The suspected companion star also might be responsible for a pair of high-speed jets of gas that lie at right angles to this equatorial ring. If the companion were pulling in material from a neighboring star, jets escaping along the companion's rotation axis could be produced. These jets would explain several puzzling features along the periphery of the gas lobes. Like a stream of water hitting a sand pile, the jets compress gas ahead of them, creating the 'curlicue' features and bright arcs near the outer edge of the lobes. The twin jets are now pointing in different directions than these features. This suggests the jets are wobbling, or precessing, and turning on and off episodically. The image was taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 on September 18, 1994. NGC 6543 is 3,000 light-years away in the

... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Members of the Armed Forces dying during an... Miscellaneous § 20.2201-1 Members of the Armed Forces dying during an induction period. (a) The additional...) (see paragraph (b) of this section) and while in active service as a member of the Armed Forces of...

... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Members of the Armed Forces dying during an... Miscellaneous § 20.2201-1 Members of the Armed Forces dying during an induction period. (a) The additional...) (see paragraph (b) of this section) and while in active service as a member of the Armed Forces of...

Deciding for or against a life-prolonging treatment represents a choice between prolonged life and death. When the death alternative is not described, individuals must supply their own assumptions. How do people imagine the experience of dying? The authors asked 40 elderly people open-ended questions about dying without 4 common life-prolonging…

... having filed application for final settlement. 11.128 Section 11.128 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans... Amended (pub. L. 120, 68th Cong.) § 11.128 Veteran dies without having filed application for final settlement. If the veteran dies without having filed application for final settlement under the...

...; Application for Payment of Amounts Due Persons Who Have Died, Disappeared, or Have Been Declared Incompetent... Amounts Due Persons Who Have Died, Disappeared, or Have Been Declared Incompetent. OMB Control Number... declared incompetent must complete a form FSA-325, Application for Payment of Amounts Due Persons Who...

Self-determination is a primary ethical principle underlying social work practice in health care settings. Since the 1970s, a right-to-die movement that shares the social work commitment to self-determination has grown and influences end-of-life care decisions. However, the role of culture is notably absent in discussions of the right to die. A…

Identifies three major areas of concern in relationship between health care providers and dying patients: (1) nature of difficulties and stresses associated with terminal care; (2) education of providers for work; and (3) influence of organizational structure and institutionalized values on services for dying patients and families. Reviews…

Measured the effect of a three-week death and dying symposium on attitudes and anxiety related to death, dying, and grief. Results indicated lower death anxiety for students in both the treatment and control groups. Findings are discussed in terms of widespread media coverage and informal discussions which accompany symposiums. (JAC)

A qualitative, community study of 58 parentally bereaved children and their 35 surviving parents illustrates how families take advantage of forewarning of death to foster connections between children and dying parents and prepare for youngsters' continued attachment to dying parents after the death. Children and parents displayed strong yearnings…

Teaching communication skills to families with a dying member presents unique challenges. As M. R. Parks' critique of interpersonal communication literature suggests, it is important to keep in mind the larger social context surrounding the person dying and to maintain a balanced perspective of information exchange (e.g., self-disclosure) and…

Being able to die where you plan is a measure of quality of life near death, in that it implies awareness of diagnosis and prognosis, adequate symptom control and involvement in decision-making in late-stage HIV disease. This study presents trends in place of death for patients attending a large central London HIV centre and examines whether patients dying over a 6-month period in 1994 were able to die where they planned. Early in the epidemic almost all people with HIV died in hospital, but in the late 1980s there was an increase in death at home and in hospices. Of people attending this hospital in 1994, 46% died in hospital, 31% at home, 20% in hospices and 2% abroad. A total of 59% of deaths were where the dying person had planned. Most unplanned deaths were in hospital, two-thirds being due to an unexpected deterioration which precluded planning. The rest were a mixture of people waiting for discharge to die elsewhere, and people who wished to continue active treatment. This pattern of place of death is unlikely to change in the near future. It is therefore essential that hospitals can provide for the needs of patients dying on acute wards.

The standard die materials in aluminium extrusion offer good mechanical properties like high tempering resistance, high strength and ductility. On the other hand, they struggle with the problem of sliding wear. As a result, there is a growing interest in using surface treatment techniques to increase the wear resistance of extrusion dies. In this study, it is aimed to observe the effects of the different friction conditions on material flow and contact pressure in extrusion process. These friction conditions can be obtained with the application of a variety of surface treatment. In this way, it is expected to decrease the friction force on the die bearing area and to increase the homogeneity of the material flow which will result in the increase of the quality of the extrudate as well as the improvement of the process economically by extending die life. For this purpose, an extrusion process is simulated with a finite element software. A die made of 1.2344 hot work tool steel-commonly used die material for aluminium extrusion process- has been modelled and Al 1100 alloy used as billet material. Various friction factor values defined on the die surface under the same process parameters and effects of changing frictional conditions on the die and the extrusion process have been discussed.

A new measure of concerns about dying was investigated in this psychometric study. The Concerns About Dying instrument (CAD) was administered to medical students, nursing students, hospice nurses, and life sciences graduate students ( N = 207) on two occasions; on one occasion they also completed three related measures. Analyses included…

Reviews literature on terminal patients and nature of their experiences during the time before their death by examining: (1) the number of persons each year who must confront their own death; (2) emotional responses of dying patients to their impending death; (3) interventions for the dying patient; and (4) areas for future research. (Author/NB)

... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Members of the Armed Forces dying during an... Miscellaneous § 20.2201-1 Members of the Armed Forces dying during an induction period. (a) The additional...) (see paragraph (b) of this section) and while in active service as a member of the Armed Forces of...

... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Members of the Armed Forces dying during an... Miscellaneous § 20.2201-1 Members of the Armed Forces dying during an induction period. (a) The additional...) (see paragraph (b) of this section) and while in active service as a member of the Armed Forces of...

... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2014-04-01 2013-04-01 true Members of the Armed Forces dying during an... Miscellaneous § 20.2201-1 Members of the Armed Forces dying during an induction period. (a) The additional...) (see paragraph (b) of this section) and while in active service as a member of the Armed Forces of...

Resembling a bizarre setting from a science fiction movie, dramatic images sent back by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have surprised astronomers by uncovering thousands of gigantic tadpole-shaped objects surrounding a dying star. Dubbed 'cometary knots' because their glowing heads and gossamer tails superficially resemble comets, they are probably the result of a dying star's final outbursts. Though ground-based telescopic observations have hinted at such objects, they have not previously been seen in such abundance, say researchers. The knots were detected by Hubble astronomer C. Robert O'Dell and graduate student Kerry P. Handron of Rice University in Houston, Texas, while exploring the Helix nebula, a ring of glowing gases blown off the surface of a sunlike star late in its life. O'Dell expects the gaseous knots, which are each several billion miles across, will eventually dissipate and vanish into the cold emptiness of interstellar space. However, he speculates that if the objects contract to form permanent solid bodies, they may contribute to a fraction (less than ten percent) of the missing mass of our galaxy, simply because of their sheer abundance around a typical dying star. (This so-called dark matter is a known source of gravity that affects the motions of stars in the galaxy). The mysterious 'space pods' came into view as O'Dell used Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 to survey the Helix nebula, located 450 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius and the closest planetary nebula to Earth -- so close that its angular size is almost half that of the full Moon. The most visible cometary knots all lie along the inner edge of the ring, at a distance of trillions of miles from the central star. Their comet-like tails, each stretching a hundred billion miles, form a radial pattern around the star like the spokes on a wagon wheel. Though previous ground-based observations show a spoke pattern in the Helix, and some structure, O'Dell emphasizes that

Experiences of illness and death, as well as beliefs about the appropriate role of healers, are profoundly influenced by patients' cultural background. As the United States becomes increasingly diverse, cultural difference is a central feature of many clinical interactions. Knowledge about how patients experience and express pain, maintain hope in the face of a poor prognosis, and respond to grief and loss will aid health care professionals. Many patients' or families' beliefs about appropriate end-of-life care are easily accommodated in routine clinical practice. Desires about the care of the body after death, for example, generally do not threaten deeply held values of medical science. Because expected deaths are increasingly the result of explicit negotiation about limiting or discontinuing therapies, however, the likelihood of serious moral disputes and overt conflict increases. We suggest a way to assess cultural variation in end-of-life care, arguing that culture is only meaningful when interpreted in the context of a patient's unique history, family constellation, and socioeconomic status. Efforts to use racial or ethnic background as simplistic, straightforward predictors of beliefs or behavior will lead to harmful stereotyping of patients and culturally insensitive care for the dying. PMID:7571587

What is the relationship between the language people use to describe an event and their moral judgments? We test the hypothesis that moral judgment and causative verbs rely on the same underlying mental model of people's actions. Experiment 1a finds that participants choose different verbs to describe the major variants of a moral dilemma, the trolley problem, mirroring differences in their wrongness judgments: they described direct harm with a single causative verb (Adam killed the man), and indirect harm with an intransitive verb in a periphrastic construction (Adam caused the man to die). Experiments 1b and 2 separate physical causality from moral valuation by varying whether the victim is a person or animal and whether the harmful action rescues people or inanimate objects. The results show that people's moral judgments lead them to portray a causal event as either more or less direct and intended, which in turn shapes their verb choices. Experiment 3 finds the same basic asymmetry in verb usage in a production task in which participants freely described what happened. (PsycINFO Database Record

``Why So Many More Americans Die in Fires'' is the headline on Page 3 of The New York Times' full-page story on December 22, l991, by D. G. McNeil, Jr. This is a partial report based on personal experience with domestic fire making for thermal comfort since l975 (1) and a published claim (2) of unique safety benefits.The McNeil report attributes the problem to ``A Case of Bad Attitude'' and ``A Reliance on Technology.'' That implies a ``bad attitude'' on the part of technologists - a conclusion consistent with this technologist's thirty-five years of experience with fellow technologists, who has found ``buck-passing'' the favorite recourse of technologists in the highest places in government even though, as McNeil has written, ``Many children never wake up. Smoke or toxic gases overcome them as they sleep. When fire fighters lift them, their imprints remain.'' Regrettably, in this author's experience, the courts have also displayed a ``bad attitude'' where ``life and death issues'' have been pleaded. 1. L. Cranberg, Slot Flame Stablity with Hohlraum Radiation Pattern, BAPS, Series II, Vol. 20, No. 9, Sept., l978. 2. L. Cranberg, Fireplace Firesafety, Fire Journal, Letter, May/June,l987

Recent studies highlight the need for an integrated model for palliative and end-of-life pediatric care. About 55,000 children die each year in the United States and, on any given day, about 8,600 children could benefit from care that acknowledges their limited life expectancy and severity of illness. Two case studies of children illustrate different approaches-one that aggressively applies all possible technologies to maximize chances of survival and another that focuses on the patient's overall quality of life and on healing rather than curing. The cases highlight characteristics of an integrated model of palliative care to address clinical, moral, and ethical uncertainties. This model integrates being with doing, provides for developing attunement and presence as capacities for being with children and their parents, and addresses challenges in the healthcare environment. Strategies for integrating palliative care into pediatric practice include listening, fostering respect for the child and parents across the organization, nurturing collaborative connections, managing uncertainty, tolerating ambiguity, making peace with conflict, and committing to self-care. Every pediatric nurse can play a role in making the vision of palliative care a reality integrated into the fabric of pediatric practice.

In most parts of the world, political systems which utilize authoritative rule and mostly employ top-down decision-making processes are slowly transcending towards democratic norms. Information Technology Systems have been identified and adopted as one of the most efficient vehicles for appropriate, transparent and inclusive / participatory decision making. Zambia has shown a higher propensity to indigenous knowledge systems which are full of inefficiencies, a lot of red tape in public service delivery, and prone to corrupt practices. Despite that being the case, it is slowly trying to implement e-government. The adoption of e-government promises a sharp paradigm shift where public institutions will be more responsive and transparent, promote efficient PPP (Public Private Partnerships), and empower citizens by making knowledge and other resources more directly accessible. This paper examines three cases from Zambia where ICT in support of e-government has been implemented for Development Information Exchange (DIE) - knowledge-based decision making. The paper also assesses the challenges, opportunities, and issues together with e-government adoption criteria regarding successful encapsulation of e-government into the Zambian contextual environment. I propose a conceptual model which offers balanced e-government adoption criteria involving a combination of electronic and participatory services. This conceptual e-government adoption model can later be replicated to be used at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) level given the similarity in the contextual environment.

Resembling a bizarre setting from a science fiction movie, dramatic images sent back by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have surprised astronomers by uncovering thousands of gigantic tadpole-shaped objects surrounding a dying star. Dubbed 'cometary knots' because their glowing heads and gossamer tails superficially resemble comets, they are probably the result of a dying star's final outbursts. Though ground-based telescopic observations have hinted at such objects, they have not previously been seen in such abundance, say researchers. The knots were detected by Hubble astronomer C. Robert O'Dell and graduate student Kerry P. Handron of Rice University in Houston, Texas, while exploring the Helix nebula, a ring of glowing gases blown off the surface of a sunlike star late in its life. O'Dell expects the gaseous knots, which are each several billion miles across, will eventually dissipate and vanish into the cold emptiness of interstellar space. However, he speculates that if the objects contract to form permanent solid bodies, they may contribute to a fraction (less than ten percent) of the missing mass of our galaxy, simply because of their sheer abundance around a typical dying star. (This so-called dark matter is a known source of gravity that affects the motions of stars in the galaxy). The mysterious 'space pods' came into view as O'Dell used Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 to survey the Helix nebula, located 450 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius and the closest planetary nebula to Earth -- so close that its angular size is almost half that of the full Moon. The most visible cometary knots all lie along the inner edge of the ring, at a distance of trillions of miles from the central star. Their comet-like tails, each stretching a hundred billion miles, form a radial pattern around the star like the spokes on a wagon wheel. Though previous ground-based observations show a spoke pattern in the Helix, and some structure, O'Dell emphasizes that

Detection and interdiction of Special Nuclear Material (SNM) in transportation is one of the most critical security issues facing the United States. Active inspection by inducing fission in fissile nuclear materials, such as 235U and 239Pu, provides several strong and unique signatures that make the detection of concealed nuclear materials technically very feasible. Differential Die-Away Analysis (DDAA) is a very efficient, active neutron-based technique that uses the abundant prompt fission neutrons signature. It benefits from high penetrability of the probing and signature neutrons, high fission cross section, high detection sensitivity, ease of deployment and relatively low cost. DDAA can use any neutron source or energy as long as it can be suitably pulsed. The neutron generator produces pulses of neutrons that are directed into a cargo. As each pulse passes through the cargo, the neutrons are thermalized and absorbed. If SNM is present, the thermalized neutrons create a new source of (fission) neutrons with a distinctive time profile. An efficient laboratory system was designed, fabricated and tested under a US Government DHS DNDO contract. It was shown that a small uranium sample can be detected in a large variety of cargo types and configurations within practical measurement times using commercial compact (d,T) sources. Using stronger sources and wider detector distribution will further cut inspection time. The system can validate or clear alarms from a primary inspection system such as an automated x-ray system.

Detection and interdiction of Special Nuclear Material (SNM) in transportation is one of the most critical security issues facing the United States. Active inspection by inducing fission in fissile nuclear materials, such as {sup 235}U and {sup 239}Pu, provides several strong and unique signatures that make the detection of concealed nuclear materials technically very feasible. Differential Die-Away Analysis (DDAA) is a very efficient, active neutron-based technique that uses the abundant prompt fission neutrons signature. It benefits from high penetrability of the probing and signature neutrons, high fission cross section, high detection sensitivity, ease of deployment and relatively low cost. DDAA can use any neutron source or energy as long as it can be suitably pulsed. The neutron generator produces pulses of neutrons that are directed into a cargo. As each pulse passes through the cargo, the neutrons are thermalized and absorbed. If SNM is present, the thermalized neutrons create a new source of (fission) neutrons with a distinctive time profile. An efficient laboratory system was designed, fabricated and tested under a US Government DHS DNDO contract. It was shown that a small uranium sample can be detected in a large variety of cargo types and configurations within practical measurement times using commercial compact (d,T) sources. Using stronger sources and wider detector distribution will further cut inspection time. The system can validate or clear alarms from a primary inspection system such as an automated x-ray system.

During the die casting process, lubricants are sprayed in order to cool the dies and facilitate the ejection of the casting. In this paper, a new technique for measuring the heat flux during lubricant application is evaluated. Data from experiments conducted using water spray are first presented. Water spray experiments were conducted for different initial plate temperatures. Measurements were conducted for the application of two different lubricants, of dilution ratios of 1/15 and 1/50 of lubricant in water. The measurement uncertainties were documented. The results show that the surface temperature decreases initially very fast. Numerical simulation results confirmed that the abrupt temperature drop is not an artifact but illustrates the thermal shock experienced by the dies during the initial stages of lubricant application. The lubricant experiments show that the sensor can be successfully used for testing die lubricants with typical dilution ratios encountered in the die casting process.

With recent advances in synthesizing titanium powder by low-cost routes, there has been growing interest in identifying process/material conditions that overcome the powder compaction problems typically found with this reactive metal. The use of instrumented dies in studying the cold pressing process for commercial iron and steel powders has provided greater insight into the complex phenomena that occur and may be used to evaluate constitutive relations that describe the compaction process. Nevertheless, little work has been conducted on the special, more problematic case of reactive metal powders such as titanium. An instrumented die was developed that allows die wall friction to be characterized and the radial stress distribution along the die wall and throughout the compact to be monitored. As will be presented, this tool has been used to investigate titanium compaction and to draw comparisons with results obtained on a baseline commercial iron powder. Both sets of data were systematically collected using various powder/die lubrication combinations.

Individuals with complicated grief are at elevated risk of suicidal thoughts. Anxiety sensitivity has recently emerged as a risk factor of suicide. This study aimed to investigate a possible association between anxiety sensitivity and a wish to die in individuals with complicated grief. Participants were evaluated for participation in a treatment study and completed an ancillary questionnaire-based study. Participants were 51 bereaved adults evaluated (age: mean, 54 [SD, 13.6] years; 78% [n = 40] women). Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and a wish to die. Overall, anxiety sensitivity was associated with a wish to die at the level of a medium effect size, although it did not reach statistical significance. The anxiety sensitivity social concerns subscale was significantly associated with a wish to die. These findings add to a growing literature implicating anxiety sensitivity in reporting a wish to die.

In several places around the world, coastal marsh vegetation is converting to open water through the formation of pools. This is concerning, as vegetation die-off is expected to reduce the marshes' capacity to adapt to sea level rise by vegetation-induced sediment accretion. Quantitative analyses of the spatial and temporal development of marsh vegetation die-off are scarce, although these are needed to understand the bio-geomorphic feedback effects of vegetation die-off on flow, erosion, and sedimentation. In this study, we quantified the spatial and temporal development of marsh vegetation die-off with aerial images from 1938 to 2010 in a submerging coastal marsh along the Blackwater River (Maryland, U.S.A). Our results indicate that die-off begins with conversion of marsh vegetation into bare open water pools that are relatively far (> 75 m) from tidal channels. As vegetation die-off continues, pools expand, and new pools emerge at shorter and shorter distances from channels. Consequently larger pools are found at larger distances from the channels. Our results suggest that the size of the pools and possibly the connection of pools with the tidal channel system have important bio-geomorphic implications and aggravate marsh deterioration. Moreover, we found that the temporal development of vegetation die-off in moderately degraded marshes is similar as the spatial die-off development along a present-day gradient, which indicates that the contemporary die-off gradient might be considered a chronosequence that offers a unique opportunity to study vegetation die-off processes.

A newly-developed round-point shear-clinching technology could increase the use of different materials like well formable aluminium and hardly formable ultra-high-strength steels (UHSS). This innovative technology joins in a single-stage process without any pilot-hole, surface pre-treatment or auxiliary joining part. The combination of an inner and outer punch realises an indirect cutting operation of the die-sided material, whereas the punch-sided material remains unharmed. The current die-sided tool set acts as a cutting die and enables a radial extrusion of the punch-sided material after being drawn though the created hole in the UHSS. The die has a fixed die depth. After ejecting the joined components, the slug has to be removed from the top of the spring-loaded anvil. The novel die concept investigated in this paper offers the possibility to push the slug continuously through the die in the joining direction. The removed slugs remain inside the die, so manual removal is unnecessary. The one-parted tool is supposed to be more robust than the multi-parted one that is currently used. This paper represents the task to evaluate the geometry of a useful shear-clinching die concept. To reduce the experimental effort, FEM should assist the development of the most promising approach. To quantify the success, conventional shear-clinching with opening die acts as a reference. The results show the high potential and the raison d'être of shear-clinching technologies as a mechanical joining technology for future multimaterial applications especially for UHSS.

Widespread, rapid, drought-, and infestation-triggered tree mortality is emerging as a phenomenon affecting forests globally and may be linked to increasing temperatures and drought frequency and severity. The ecohydrological consequences of forest dieoff have been little studied and remain highly uncertain. To explore this knowledge gap, we apply the extensive literature on the ecohydrological effects of tree harvest in combination with the limited existing die-off ecohydrology research to develop new, relevant hypotheses. Tree mortality results in loss of canopy cover, which directly alters evaporation, transpiration, and canopy interception and indirectly alters other watershed hydrologic processes, including infiltration, runoff, groundwater recharge, and streamflow. Both die-off and harvest research suggest that for most forests, water yield can be expected to increase following substantial loss of tree cover by die-off as evapotranspiration and interception are decreased. We hypothesize that where annual precipitation exceeds ~500 mm or water yield is dominated by snowmelt, watersheds will experience significantly decreased evapotranspiration and increased flows if absolute canopy cover loss from die-off exceeds 20%. However, recent observations suggest that water yield following die-off can potentially decrease rather than increase in drier forests. Post-mortality successional dynamics will ultimately determine if short-term die-off impacts to hydrological function will persist, be diminished, or altered further over longer time scales. To reliably predict die-off responses, more research is needed to test these hypotheses, including observations of multiple water budget components and the persistence of ecohydrological effects with the post-die-off successional dynamics of tree recruitment, understory growth, and interactions with additional disturbances. With die-off, mitigation and restoration options are limited and costly, necessitating societal

This article critically questions the commercialization of hospice care and the ethical concerns associated with the industry's movement toward "market-driven medicine" at the end of life. For example, the article examines issues raised by an influx of for-profit hospice providers whose business model appears at its core to have an ethical conflict of interest between shareholders doing well and terminal patients dying well. Yet, empirical data analyzing the experience of patients across the hospice industry are limited, and general claims that end-of-life patient care is inferior among for-profit providers or even that their business practices are somehow unseemly when compared to nonprofit providers cannot be substantiated. In fact, non-profit providers are not immune to potentially conflicting concerns regarding financial viability (i.e., "no margin, no mission"). Given the limitations of existing empirical data and contrasting ideological commitments of for-profit versus non-profit providers, the questions raised by this article highlight important areas for reflection and further study. Policymakers and regulators are cautioned to keep ethical concerns in the fore as an increasingly commercialized hospice industry continues to emerge as a dominant component of the U.S. health care system. Both practitioners and researchers are encouraged to expand their efforts to better understand how business practices and commercial interests may compromise the death process of the patient and patient's family--a process premised upon a philosophy and ethical tradition that earlier generations of hospice providers and proponents established as a trusted, end-of-life alternative.

Optimum heat treatment of dies (quenching) is critical in ensuring satisfactory service performance: rapid cooling rates increase the thermal fatigue/heat checking resistance of the steel, although very fast cooling rates can also lead to distortion and lower fracture toughness, increasing the danger of catastrophic fracture. Goal of this project is to increase die life by using fast enough quenching rates (> 30 F/min ave cooling rate from 1750 to 550 F, 1/2 in. below working surfaces) to obtain good toughness and fatigue resistance in Premium grade H-13 steel dies. An iterative approach of computer modeling validated by experiment was taken. Cooling curves during gas quenching of H-13 blocks and die shapes were measured under 2, 5, and 7.5 bar N2 and 4 bar Ar. Resulting dimensional changes and residual stresses were determined. To facilitate the computer modeling work, a database of H-13 mechanical and physical properties was compiled. Finite element analysis of the heat treated shapes was conducted. Good fit of modeled vs measured quenched rates was demonstrated for simple die shapes. The models predict well the phase transformation products from the quench. There is good fit between predicted and measured distortion contours; however magnitude of predicted distortion and residual stresses does not match well the measured values. Further fine tuning of the model is required.

This paper aims to manufacture magnesium alloy metals with gradient micro-structures using hot extrusion process. The extrusion die was designed to have a straight channel part combined with a conical part. Materials pushed through this specially-designed die generate a non-uniform velocity distribution at cross sections inside the die and result in different strain and strain rate distributions. Accordingly, a gradient microstructure product can be obtained. Using the finite element analysis, the forming temperature, effective strain, and effective strain rate distributions at the die exit were firstly discussed for various inclination angles in the conical die. Then, hot extrusion experiments with a two stage die were conducted to obtain magnesium alloy products with gradient micro-structures. The effects of the inclination angle on the grain size distribution at cross sections of the products were also discussed. Using a die of an inclination angle of 15°, gradient micro-structures of the grain size decreasing gradually from 17 μm at the center to 4 μm at the edge of product were achieved.

This paper demonstrates to utilize the hammer capacity by modifying the die design such that forging hammer can manufacture more than one connecting rod in a given forging cycle time. To modify the die design study is carried out to understand the parameters that are required for forging die design. By considering these parameters, forging die is designed using design modelling tool solid edge. This new design now can produce two connecting rods in same capacity hammer. The new design is required to validate by verifying complete filing of metal in die cavities without any defects in it. To verify this, analysis tool DEFORM 3D is used in this project. Before start of validation process it is require to convert 3D generated models in to. STL file format to import the models into the analysis tool DEFORM 3D. After importing these designs they are analysed for material flow into the cavities and energy required to produce two connecting rods in new forging die design. It is found that the forging die design is proper without any defects and also energy graph shows that the forging energy required to produce two connecting rods is within the limit of that hammer capacity. Implementation of this project increases the production of connecting rods by 200% in less than previous cycle time.

In contemporary western societies, dying usually occurs in old age, out of sight in hospitals and institutions; how then do lay people learn what dying is like? Since the 1970s, one source of information in Anglophone societies has come from individuals who have chosen to publicise their dying of cancer. This article examines the most high profile case of this to date in the UK; in 2009, celebrity Jade Goody publicised in tabloid newspapers and celebrity magazines the final weeks of her dying of cervical cancer. What did she and her media say and write about dying? This article examines the print coverage of her final weeks, and four different voices are identified: those of Goody, of journalists, of her publicist, and of photographers, each representing her dying somewhat differently. Two major themes are discussed: Jade's struggles to retain autonomy (challenged by her disease and by other people), and the framing of her final weeks not primarily as a typical media cancer story of heroism, but as one of redemption in which she attained social respectability through dying.

We demonstrate a novel method for the fabrication of glass photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) with a die-cast process. SF6 glass is used as the material for PCFs, and the die is made of heat-resisting alloy steel, whose inner structure matches the PCF's structure. The die is put vertically in the vessel with SF6 glass, and the vacuum hose is attached to the top of the die. The die and glass are put in the furnace to heat at 870 K. The die is slowly filled with the softening glass under vacuum conduction until it is full. It is kept in the furnace to anneal at a rate of 20 K/h to remove the thermal stress that could lead to cracks. The outer tube of the die is taken apart when its temperature is close to room temperature, and the fused glass bundle is etched in an acidic solution to remove the heat-resisting alloy steel rods. Thus, the etched bundle is ready to use as a PCF preform. The PCF is observed in the generation of a supercontinuum, with the flat plateau in the spectrum of the output emission stretching from 400 to 1400 nm by experimental measurement. The transmission loss is 0.2-0.3 dB/m at wavelengths of 420-900 nm.

Society's failure to value the work of nurses, the professionals most frequently involved in the care of the dying, is attributed to a cultural definition of nursing as a second-class occupation and the public's need to deny the realities of the suffering and indignities often associated with the process of dying. Efforts within the field of nursing to improve the care of the dying, by shifting emphasis from a narrow physical focus to a more holistic patient and family focus, preceded the past decade's contributions of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Although her staging theory has been cited as having limitations in development and in interpretation, Kübler-Ross' influence towards increasing awareness of the needs of the dying and others experiencing major losses has been substantial as evidenced by many references to staging theory in nursing literature, by a marked increase in attention to holistic care of the dying in the basic and continuing education programs of nursing, and by specialty role development in nursing care of the dying. This decade has also witnessed the major growth of professionalism in nursing, including strides towards professional autonomy. Conflict with the traditional pattern of medical dominance and bureacratic constraints in institutions is inevitable, especially when the medical goal of cure is not attainable. Change to an interdisciplinary model of care is viewed as essential for optimal care of the dying and their families.

To improve the production efficiency of the hot-stamping process from the perspective of the die materials, a numerical model of a B-pillar component was established to investigate the effects of the thermal conductivity of the die material on the cooling behavior, microstructure, and mechanical evolution of the formed component, as well as the temperature distribution of the die during the hot-stamping process. The results showed that the thermal conductivity of the die material has a more significant influence on the quenching stage than the forming stage. Under the specified simulation and boundary conditions, when the thermal conductivity of the die material improves by 76.23% at 25-300 °C, the maximum cooling rate of the component increases by 48.49% and consequently improves the quenching efficiency of the hot-stamping process by 31.82%. As the thermal conductivity of the die steel increases, the maximum temperature of the die decreases and its temperature uniformity improves. Moreover, to improve the efficiency of the hot-stamping process, steels that possess high thermal conductivity at low temperature ranges are favorable.

The current market demand for high-efficiency, high-performance, small-sized electronic products has focused attention on the use of three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (IC) in the design of electronic packaging. Silicon wafers can be ground and polished to reduce their thickness and increase the chip stacking density. However, microcracks can result from the thinning and stacking process or during use of an electronic device over time; therefore, estimation of the cracking strength is an important issue in 3D IC packaging. This research combined the ball breaker test (BBT) with an acoustic emission (AE) system to measure the allowable force on a silicon die. To estimate the initial crack strength of a silicon die, the BBT was combined with finite-element (FE) analysis. The AE system can detect the initial crack and the subsequent bulk failure of the silicon die individually, thus avoiding overestimation of the die strength. In addition, the results of the modified ball breaker test showed that edge chipping did not affect the silicon die strength. However, the failure force and silicon die strength were reduced as the surface roughness of the test specimen increased. Thus, surface roughness must be controlled in the BBT to prevent underestimation of the silicon die strength.

This report summarizes research results in the project Development and Demonstration of Advanced Tooling Alloys for Molds and Dies. Molds, dies and related tooling are used to manufacture most of the plastic and metal products we use every day. Conventional fabrication of molds and dies involves a multiplicity of machining, benching and heat treatment unit operations. This approach is very expensive and time consuming. Rapid Solidifcation Process (RSP) Tooling is a spray-forming technology tailored for producing molds and dies. The appraoch combines rapid solidifcation processing and net-shape materials processing in a single step. An atomized spray of a tool-forming alloy, typically a tool steel, is deposited onto an easy-to-form tool pattern to replicate the pattern's shape and surface features. By so doing, the approach eliminates many machining operations in conventional mold making, significantly reducing cost, lead time and energy. Moreover, rapid solidification creates unique microstructural features by suppressing carbide precipitation and growth, and creating metastable phases. This can result in unique material properties following heat treatment. Spray-formed and aged tool steel dies have exhibited extended life compared to conventional dies in many forming operations such as forging, extrusion and die casting. RSP Tooling technolocy was commercialized with the formation of RSP Tooling, LLC in Solon, Oh.

Abstract Background Increasingly, people with neurodegenerative illness are cared for at home until close to death. Yet, discussing the reality of dying remains a social taboo. Objective To examine the ways, family caregivers of people living with motor neurone disease (MND) experienced the dying of their relative and to identify how health practitioners can better prepare families for end‐of‐life care. Design Secondary analysis was undertaken on data sets generated from two longitudinal qualitative studies employing similar data collection and analysis methods. Combining data sets increased participant numbers in a low incidence disease group. Setting and participants Primary studies were undertaken with family caregivers in England and Australia. Interview and observational data were collected mostly in home. Participants who discussed dying and death formed the sample for secondary analysis. Results Combined data revealed four major themes: planning for end of life, unexpected dying, dignity in the dying body and positive end to MND. Despite short survival predictions, discussions among family members about dying were often sporadic and linked to loss of hope. Effective planning for death assisted caregivers to manage the final degenerative processes of dying. When plans were not effectively communicated or enacted, capacity to preserve personhood was reduced. Discussion and Conclusion Returning death and dying to social discourse will raise the level of community awareness and normalize conversations about end‐of‐life care. Strategies for on‐going, effective communication that facilitates advance care planning among patients, their families and practitioners are essential to improve dying and death for people with MND and their family caregivers. PMID:22512686

Organically passivated silver nanopowder paste-based sintering is considered a promising solution for die-attach in high temperature power and sensing electronic devices. However, oxygen requirements during burnout and inherently high shrinkage rates limit their use to small die sizes. This work reports an alternative fabrication method that resolves decomposition and shrinkage issues of the die-attach by utilizing a prestressed optimized tape cast mixture of micro- and nanosilver particles with a polypropylene carbonate binder. The effects of prestressing, micro/nanosilver bimodal distribution, and polymer content on resulting microstructure and shear strength were investigated. Prior to application as a die-attach, uniaxial compression of the tape was found to significantly decrease shrinkage and improve green strength. This pre-stressing strategy allows for a decoupling of the resulting die-attach materials properties from the pressure applied during assembly. Bimodal mixtures consisting of 1-3 μm spherical powders with nanosilver resulted in shear strengths comparable to those of pure nanosilver. Shear strength decreased as bimodal particle size increased above 5 μm. A polymer content of ˜10 wt.% polypropylene carbonate combined with prestressing was identified as optimal for maximizing die-attach shear strength while still maintaining pliability and formability. Tape casts that were prestressed to 212 MPa by uniaxially compression and formulated with 10 wt.% of polypropylene carbonate resulted in a die-attach material with a shear strength of 54 MPa when sintered. These materials were used to demonstrate void-free 25-mm2 die-attach assemblies, suggesting that tape cast micro/nanosilver materials may be a promising die-attach method for high temperature and large-area electronics devices.

Several authors have recently suggested that the suffering caused by mental illness could provide moral grounds for physician-assisted dying. Yet they typically require that psychiatric-assisted dying could come to question in the cases of autonomous, or rational, psychiatric patients only. Given that also non-autonomous psychiatric patients can sometimes suffer unbearably, this limitation appears questionable. In this article, I maintain that restricting psychiatric-assisted dying to autonomous, or rational, psychiatric patients would not be compatible with endorsing certain end-of-life practices commonly accepted in current medical ethics and law, practices often referred to as 'passive euthanasia'.

Solid-explosive plane-wave lenses 1", 2" and 4¼" in diameter have been mass-produced from components pressed-to-shape with aluminum dies. The method used to calculate the contour between the solid plane-wave lens components pressed-to-shape with the dies is explained. The steps taken to press, machine, and assemble the lenses are described. The method of testing the lenses, the results of those tests, and the corrections to the dies are reviewed. The work on the ½", 8", and 12" diameter lenses is also discussed.

The objective of the study, Application of High-Temperature Mold Materials to Die Cast Copper Motor Rotor for Improved Efficiency, was to support the Copper Development Association (CDA) in its effort to design, fabricate and demonstrate mold technologies designed to withstand the copper motor rotor die casting environment for an economically acceptable life. The anticipated result from the compiled data and tests were to: (1) identify materials suitable for die casting copper, (2) fabricate motor rotor molds and (3) supply copper rotor motors for testing in actual compressor systems. Compressor manufacturers can apply the results to assess the technical and economical viability of copper rotor motors.

This project had two main objectives: (1) To design, fabricate and run a full size test for evaluating soldering and washout in die insert materials. This test utilizes the unique capabilities of the 350 Ton Squeeze Casting machine available in the Case Meal Casting Laboratory. Apply the test to evaluate resistance of die materials and coating, including heat resistant alloys to soldering and washout damage. (2) To evaluate materials and coatings, including heat resistant superalloys, for use as inserts in die casting of aluminum alloys.

Thermal resistance of a Quad Flat Nolead (QFN) package, comprised of the bulk material resistance of a die attach with its two interfaces, is measured by thermal transient technique. Two die attach chemistries (Ag filled and Boron Nitride filled) and three die-backside coatings (TiNiAg, Au, and bare Si) were investigated to understand their contribution to the thermal resistance. Of the tests conducted, the most effective combination was a metalized layer of TiNiAg with the Ag filled epoxy system. In order to further improve the thermal resistance reduction, electron to phonon and phonon to phonon transport must be better understood.

The quality and specific energy consumption (SEC) of the biomass pellets produced depend upon pelleting process conditions. The present study includes understanding the effect of feedstock moisture in the range of 28–38% (wet basis [w.b.]) and preheating in the range of 30–110°C at two die speeds of 40 and 60 Hz on the physical properties and SEC. A flat die pellet mill fitted with a 6 mm die was used in the present study. The physical properties of pellets such as moisture content, unit, bulk and tapped density, durability, and expansion ratio and SEC of the pelleting process are measured. The results indicate that the pellets produced have durability values in the range of 87–98%, and unit bulk and tapped density in the range of 670–1100, 375–575, and 420–620 kg/m³. Increasing the feedstock moisture content from 33% to 38% (w.b) decreased the unit, bulk and tapped density by about 30–40%. Increasing feedstock moisture content increased the expansion ratio and decreased the density values. A higher feedstock moisture content of 38% (w.b.) and higher preheating temperature of 110°C resulted in lower density and a higher expansion ratio, which can be attributed to flash off of moisture as the material extrudes out of the die. The SEC was in the range of 75–275 kWh/ton. Higher feedstock moisture content of 38% (w.b.) and a lower die speed of 40 Hz increased the SEC, whereas lower to medium preheating temperature (30–70°C), medium feedstock moisture content of 33% (w.b.), and a higher die speed of 60 Hz minimized the SEC to <100 kWh/ton.

The quality and specific energy consumption (SEC) of the biomass pellets produced depend upon pelleting process conditions. The present study includes understanding the effect of feedstock moisture in the range of 28–38% (wet basis [w.b.]) and preheating in the range of 30–110°C at two die speeds of 40 and 60 Hz on the physical properties and SEC. A flat die pellet mill fitted with a 6 mm die was used in the present study. The physical properties of pellets such as moisture content, unit, bulk and tapped density, durability, and expansion ratio and SEC of the pelleting process are measured.more » The results indicate that the pellets produced have durability values in the range of 87–98%, and unit bulk and tapped density in the range of 670–1100, 375–575, and 420–620 kg/m³. Increasing the feedstock moisture content from 33% to 38% (w.b) decreased the unit, bulk and tapped density by about 30–40%. Increasing feedstock moisture content increased the expansion ratio and decreased the density values. A higher feedstock moisture content of 38% (w.b.) and higher preheating temperature of 110°C resulted in lower density and a higher expansion ratio, which can be attributed to flash off of moisture as the material extrudes out of the die. The SEC was in the range of 75–275 kWh/ton. Higher feedstock moisture content of 38% (w.b.) and a lower die speed of 40 Hz increased the SEC, whereas lower to medium preheating temperature (30–70°C), medium feedstock moisture content of 33% (w.b.), and a higher die speed of 60 Hz minimized the SEC to <100 kWh/ton.« less

This research aimed at testing, evaluating, analyzing, and modeling the deposition process and uniformity of powder fill in multiple dies. The second generation pressure deposition tester (PDT-II) was developed to investigate the effects of some factors (die geometry and size, die configuration and location of the die, powder characteristics, and feed shoe speed) on the deposition process and final pressure distribution. A battery powder mixture and an alumina powder were used to fill three parallel-oriented dies. Cylindrical, toroidal, and E-shaped dies were investigated. For the cylindrical and toroidal dies, feed shoe speeds of 20, 100, 200 (for the alumina powder), and 500 mm/s (for the battery powder mixture) were tested For the E-shaped dies, 20 mm/s was used. A computed tomography (CT) scanner was employed to obtain fill density distribution for the cylindrical and toroidal dies filled with the two powders. PDT-II satisfactorily generates a real-time pressure profile of the process and final pressures at multiple locations. For the cylindrical dies filled with the battery powder mixture: (1) at 20 and 100 mm/s feed shoe speeds, the half circle close to the leeward end had higher final pressures; (2) at 500 mm/s, the final pressure distribution was more uniform; (3) the final pressure distribution was not always symmetrical about the center line. Final pressure decreased with increasing radial distance for low feed shoe speeds. The distribution was not always regular for high speed; (4) the three parallel dies did not always have similar pressure distributions; (5) the 500 mm/s feed shoe speed resulted in higher (P < 0.05) final pressures (774.5 to 1424.5 Pa) than at lower speeds (235.2 to 1136.0 Pa) at most locations; (6) at 20 and 100 mm/s feed shoe speeds, the right die tended to have higher (P < 0.05) final pressures (393.8 to 1136.0 Pa) than the center die (235.2 to 726.0 Pa). At 500 mm/s, the quantitative differences between the center (774.5 to 1246

Mass loss from dying stars is the main avenue by which material enters the interstellar medium, and eventually forms solar systems and planets. When stars consume all the hydrogen burning in their core, they start to burn helium, first in their centers, and then in a surrounding shell. During these phases, the so-called ``giant branches,'' large instabilities are created, and stars begin to shed their outer atmospheres, producing so-called circumstellar envelopes. Molecules form readily in these envelopes, in part by LTE chemistry at the base of the stellar photosphere, and also by radical reactions in the outer regions. Eventually most stars shed almost all their mass, creating ``planetary nebulae,'' which consist of a hot, ultraviolet-emitting white dwarf surrounded by the remnant stellar material. The environs in such nebulae are not conducive to chemical synthesis; yet molecular gas exits. The ejecta from these nebulae then flows into the interstellar medium, becoming the starting material for diffuse clouds, which subsequently collapse into dense clouds and then stars. This molecular ``life cycle'' is repeated many times in the course of the evolution of our Galaxy. We have been investigating the interstellar molecular life cycle, in particular the chemical environments of circumstellar shells and planetary nebulae, through both observational and laboratory studies. Using the facilities of the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO), we have conducted broad-band spectral-line surveys to characterize the contrasting chemical and physical properties of carbon (IRC +10216) vs. oxygen-rich envelopes (VY CMa and NML Cyg). The carbon-rich types are clearly more complex in terms of numbers of chemical compounds, but the O-rich variety appear to have more energetic, shocked material. We have also been conducting surveys of polyatomic molecules towards planetary nebulae. Species such as HCN, HCO+, HNC, CCH, and H2CO appear to be common constituents of these objects, and their

Appraises work of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in area of coping with dying. Suggests lessons from that work. Draws broad conclusions about processes involved in coping with dying, argues on behalf of need to develop better theoretical models to explicate what is involved in coping with dying, and suggests requirements for model. (Author/NB)

Extreme changes in the environment can generate high mortalities in wildlife populations. When these mortalities are attributable to extreme natural events, they are referred to as natural population die-offs. Despite growing reports of such die-offs, a consensus on how to define them has not emerged. Furthermore, although anthropogenically caused extreme events are predicted to occur at a higher frequency and intensity compared with natural events, an integrative synthesis assessing their significance for wildlife population viability is lacking. These issues hamper the ability to identify populations most at risk. Here, we propose a functional definition of natural population die-offs, an assessment of extrinsic and intrinsic processes shaping these die-offs, and a framework for assessing the vulnerability of terrestrial mammals to natural and anthropogenically caused extreme events.

... 163381.html 10,000 U.S. Seniors Die Within Week of ER Discharge Every Year: Study May be ... most common causes of death in the following week were heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( ...

Explores the relationship between psychotherapy and clinical thanatology relative to working with dying patients and their survivors. Eight special characteristics of thanatological exchanges are explained including comments on time, transference, aspirations, and empathy. Conversation, heirarchical exchange, psychotherapy, and thanatological…

... OR NOT TO CHEW? PATIENT DIES AFTER CHEWING MEDICATION Some medications should never be chewed, cut, crushed, or diluted. ... instructions or do not question how to take medication. An 83-year-old patient was given Cardizem ...

An integration of computer aided design (CAD), computer aided process planning (CAPP) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) is required for development of an intelligent system to design and manufacture stamping dies in sheet metal industries. In this paper, a framework for development of an intelligent system for design and manufacturing of stamping dies is proposed. In the proposed framework, the intelligent system is structured in form of various expert system modules for different activities of design and manufacturing of dies. All system modules are integrated with each other. The proposed system takes its input in form of a CAD file of sheet metal part, and then system modules automate all tasks related to design and manufacturing of stamping dies. Modules are coded using Visual Basic (VB) and developed on the platform of AutoCAD software.

We present the first experimental results to establish that a binning strategy based on defect clustering can be used to screen bare die for early life failures. The data for this study comes from the SEMATECH test methods experiment.

This research explores perceptions regarding death and dying among people with chronic kidney disease. The methodology for the study was narrative inquiry informed by social constructivism. In-depth narrative interviews were conducted on two occasions with 14 participants. The participants included 10 men and 4 women (mean age of 66) who were treated in a mid-size Canadian city. Four themes relating to death and dying emerged from the data: awareness of death as a consequence of kidney failure, close calls, contemplation of suicide and/or withdrawal from dialysis, and preparing for death while living life. From the findings, it appeared that participants were very aware of the risk of dying from their illness, experienced serious health crises, and planned for their deaths. They were comfortable in discussing death and dying and acknowledged withdrawal from dialysis as an option.

Surfaces of die-casting dies are subjected to very severe conditions of cyclical thermal and mechanical load, and chemical and mechanical wear. Dies mostly fail due to a combination of heat checking, erosion, corrosion and soldering. It is conceivable that appropriate surface treatments and coatings have a favourable influence on the temperature dependant performance of the surface of the die. The objective of this study was to examine various surface treatments and coatings. including shot peening, nitriding, nitro-carburizing, laser hardening and remelting, electro-spark alloying (deposition) and plasma spraying, under thermal fatigue conditions. Thermal cycling tests were conducted by alternate dipping of treated samples in an LM24 melt and in water. Results and interpretation are presented in this paper. The best thermal fatigue resistance was shown for a double surface treatment of laser hardening plus electro-spark deposition.

The novel sheet-bulk metal forming (SBMF) technology allows the production of solid metal components with various functional design features out of flat sheet specimens. However, due to the high working pressures arising during the forming process the efficiency of SBMF is tightly related to the tool service life, which is mainly limited by die wear. In the forming processes involving high contact pressures (e.g. SBMF) the influence of contact normal stresses on the die wear can be overestimated. In order to provide a realistic estimation of the die wear, the shear friction stress must be considered. The presented paper introduces a die wear model that intends the tangential component of contact stress and its implementation in the commercial FE code.

In this study, the attitudes of student nurses from Kerman and Bam in Iran towards death and caring for dying patients were compared. Two types of questionnaire were used: the DAP-R (Death Attitude Profile Revised) and FATCOD (Frommelt Attitude Towards Caring for Dying patients). The Bam student nurses, who had more experience of death due to the Bam earthquake in December 2003, were found to be less afraid of death and also less likely to give care to people at the end of life compared to their counterparts in Kerman. In both groups, those who were educated about death and dying had more positive attitudes towards caring for people who are dying than non-educated participants. The study suggests that adding palliative care education, accompanied by a reflective narrative approach, to the nursing curriculum is necessary to improve quality of care at the end of life.

Objectives Most people when asked, express a preference to die at home, but little is known about whether this is an option for critically ill patients. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken to describe the size and characteristics of the critical care population who could potentially be transferred home to die if they expressed such a wish. Methods Medical notes of all patients who died in, or within 5 days of discharge from seven critical care units across two hospital sites over a 12-month period were reviewed. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were developed and applied to identify the number of patients who had potential to be transferred home to die and demographic and clinical data (eg, conscious state, respiratory and cardiac support therapies) collected. Results 7844 patients were admitted over a 12-month period. 422 (5.4%) patients died. Using the criteria developed 100 (23.7%) patients could have potentially been transferred home to die. Of these 41 (41%) patients were diagnosed with respiratory disease. 53 (53%) patients were conscious, 47 (47%) patients were self-ventilating breathing room air/oxygen via a mask. 20 (20%) patients were ventilated via an endotracheal tube. 76 (76%) patients were not requiring inotropes/vasopressors. Mean time between discussion about treatment withdrawal and time of death was 36.4 h (SD=46.48). No patients in this cohort were transferred home. Conclusions A little over 20% of patients dying in critical care demonstrate potential to be transferred home to die. Staff should actively consider the practice of transferring home as an option for care at end of life for these patients. PMID:26628534

Closed-cell porous aluminum was fabricated using gases intrinsically contained in aluminum alloy die castings without using a blowing agent. By incorporating the friction stir processing technique, porous aluminum with a porosity of more than 50 pct was successfully obtained at a holding temperature of 923 to 948 K and a holding time of 10 minutes. This proposed die-casting route has high potential for fabricating porous aluminum at a low cost by a higher productivity process.

Pressure die casting is successfully used in the manufacture of Aluminum alloys components for automobile and many other industries. Die casting is a process involving many process parameters having complex relationship with the quality of the cast product. Though various process parameters have influence on the quality of die cast component, major influence is seen by the die casting machine parameters and their proper settings. In the present work, non-linear regression models have been developed for making predictions and analyzing the effect of die casting machine parameters on the performance characteristics of die casting process. Design of Experiments (DOE) with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) has been used to analyze the effect of effect of input parameters and their interaction on the response and further used to develop nonlinear input-output relationships. Die casting machine parameters, namely, fast shot velocity, slow shot to fast shot change over point, intensification pressure and holding time have been considered as the input variables. The quality characteristics of the cast product were determined by porosity, hardness and surface rough roughness (output/responses). Design of experiments has been used to plan the experiments and analyze the impact of variables on the quality of casting. On the other-hand Response Surface Methodology (Central Composite Design) is utilized to develop non-linear input-output relationships (regression models). The developed regression models have been tested for their statistical adequacy through ANOVA test. The practical usefulness of these models has been tested with some test cases. These models can be used to make the predictions about different quality characteristics, for the known set of die casting machine parameters, without conducting the experiments.

This study investigated the influence of the elastic modulus of supporting dies on the fracture strengths of all-ceramic materials used in dental crowns. Four different types of supporting die materials (dentin, epoxy resin, brass, and stainless steel) (24 per group) were prepared using a milling machine to simulate a mandibular molar all-ceramic core preparation. A total number of 96 zirconia cores were fabricated using a CAD/CAM system. The specimens were divided into two groups. In the first group, cores were cemented to substructures using a dual-cure resin cement. In the second group, cores were not cemented to the supporting dies. The specimens were loaded using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min until fracture occurred. Data were statistically analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD tests (α = 0.05). The geometric models of cores and supporting die materials were developed using finite element method to obtain the stress distribution of the forces. Cemented groups showed statistically higher fracture strength values than non-cemented groups. While ceramic cores on stainless steel dies showed the highest fracture strength values, ceramic cores on dentin dies showed the lowest fracture strength values among the groups. The elastic modulus of the supporting die structure is a significant factor in determining the fracture resistance of all-ceramic crowns. Using supporting die structures that have a low elastic modulus may be suitable for fracture strength tests, in order to accurately reflect clinical conditions.

Pressure die casting is successfully used in the manufacture of Aluminum alloys components for automobile and many other industries. Die casting is a process involving many process parameters having complex relationship with the quality of the cast product. Though various process parameters have influence on the quality of die cast component, major influence is seen by the die casting machine parameters and their proper settings. In the present work, non-linear regression models have been developed for making predictions and analyzing the effect of die casting machine parameters on the performance characteristics of die casting process. Design of Experiments (DOE) with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) has been used to analyze the effect of effect of input parameters and their interaction on the response and further used to develop nonlinear input-output relationships. Die casting machine parameters, namely, fast shot velocity, slow shot to fast shot change over point, intensification pressure and holding time have been considered as the input variables. The quality characteristics of the cast product were determined by porosity, hardness and surface rough roughness (output/responses). Design of experiments has been used to plan the experiments and analyze the impact of variables on the quality of casting. On the other-hand Response Surface Methodology (Central Composite Design) is utilized to develop non-linear input-output relationships (regression models). The developed regression models have been tested for their statistical adequacy through ANOVA test. The practical usefulness of these models has been tested with some test cases. These models can be used to make the predictions about different quality characteristics, for the known set of die casting machine parameters, without conducting the experiments.

Future drought is projected to occur under warmer temperature conditions as climate change progresses, referred to here as global-change-type drought, yet quantitative assessments of the triggers and potential extent of drought-induced vegetation die-off remain pivotal uncertainties in assessing climate-change impacts. Of particular concern is regional-scale mortality of overstory trees, which rapidly alters ecosystem type, associated ecosystem properties, and land surface conditions for decades. Here, we quantify regional-scale vegetation die-off across southwestern North American woodlands in 2002-2003 in response to drought and associated bark beetle infestations. At an intensively studied site within the region, we quantified that after 15 months of depleted soil water content, >90% of the dominant, overstory tree species (Pinus edulis, a pin??on) died. The die-off was reflected in changes in a remotely sensed index of vegetation greenness (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), not only at the intensively studied site but also across the region, extending over 12,000 km2 or more; aerial and field surveys confirmed the general extent of the die-off. Notably, the recent drought was warmer than the previous subcontinental drought of the 1950s. The limited, available observations suggest that die-off from the recent drought was more extensive than that from the previous drought, extending into wetter sites within the tree species' distribution. Our results quantify a trigger leading to rapid, drought-induced die-off of overstory woody plants at subcontinental scale and highlight the potential for such die-off to be more severe and extensive for future global-change-type drought under warmer conditions. ?? 2005 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA.

The goal of this project was to study the combined effects of die design, proper internal cooling and efficient die lubricants on die life. The project targeted improvements in die casting insert life by: Optomized Die Design for Reduced Surface Temperature: The life of die casting dies is significantly shorter when the die is exposed to elevated temperature for significant periods of time. Any die operated under conditions leading to surface temperature in excess of 1050oF undergoes structural changes that reduce its strength. Optimized die design can improve die life significantly. This improvement can be accomplished by means of cooling lines, baffles and bubblers in the die. A key objective of the project was to establish criteria for the minimal distance of the cooling lines from the surface. This effort was supported with alloys and machining by BohlerUddeholm, Dunn Steel, HH Stark and Rex Buckeye. In plant testing and evaluation was conducted as in-kind cost share at St. Clair Die Casting. The Uddeholm Dievar steel evaluated in this program showed superior resistance to thermal fatigue resistance. Based on the experimental evidence, cooling lines could be placed as close as 0.5"Â from the surface. Die Life Extension by Optimized Die Lubrication: The life of die casting dies is affected by additions made to its surface with the proper lubricants. These lubricants will protect the surface from the considerable temperature peaks that occur when the molten melt enters the die. Dies will reach a significantly higher temperature without this lubricant being applied. The amount and type of the lubricant are critical variables in the die casting process. However, these lubricants must not corrode the die surface. This effort was supported with alloys and machining by BohlerUddeholm, Dunn Steel, HH Stark and Rex Buckeye. In plant testing and evaluation was conducted as in-kind cost share at St. Clair Die Casting. Chem- Trend participated in the program with die

Interaction forces between the workpiece and the die appear during the cold forming process of metals in dies. Surface forces of high-intensity influence the mesh structure and internal structure of the finished piece by mechanical action. Frictional forces hinder the flow of the material in contact with the die walls, especially on surfaces of complex shape. Under certain conditions, the material can adhere to the wall of the die, leading to the blocking of the cold forming process. In order to highlight the influence of contact forces on cold forming processes in dies with complex surfaces there were used numerical simulation methods with finite elements. Numerical simulations of the process of axial cold forming in the die were carried out for analysis data acquisition necessary, in order to achieve HTD pulleys, for an ordinary range of friction coefficients. The analysis was directed to the gearing area of the HTD pulleys (head, flank and base of the tooth). The analysis highlighted the negative effects of friction forces on the shape and quality of the products and the need to use quality lubricants. Also, using the cold forming process they can be achieved substantial savings by redistribution of the material without removing it.

In the Civic Museum of Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara, a collection of 1104 coin striking tools is stored. Among these, eight steel dies produced from the 2nd decade of the seventeenth to the half of the eighteenth century, representative of the whole period of activity of the papal mint in Ferrara, have been chosen and studied. In that period, while important innovations in the coin minting technique were introduced in Europe, Ferrara declined from the rank of ducal mint to that of peripheral minting center of the highly centralized Papal States. The dies have been characterized by metallographic, chemical, and microhardness investigations. The results suggest that the dies were obtained by a manual smithing technique consisting in hammer hot forging. The die quality improved with time. In fact, in the period 1619-1622, a hardening treatment for the engraved die end consisting in a simple local carburization coexisted with a more efficient production method, based on the application of a proper final heat treatment. This treatment induced a graded microstructure from the engraved end, with a hard martensitic or bainitic structure, to the opposite end, with a tough ferritic/pearlitic structure. From 1675 onward, the latter production method was applied on all the studied dies. The chemical analysis of the alloys suggest that they were likely obtained from iron ores with a common provenance, while the analysis of the slag inclusions suggests the adoption of a direct method of ironmaking throughout the activity period of the mint.

Laser shock forming is a new technique which enables sheet metal to produce plastic deformation through shock waves induced by high energy pulsed laser. However, it is difficult to control the forming precision with such technique. This paper provided the kinetic analysis of sheet metal during the progress of laser shock forming with semi-die. It also developed the method of forming precision control with optimal laser pulse energy, method of die modification and compensation based on reverse analysis and method of characterizing the precision of laser shock forming with semi-die. The Nd:Glass pulse laser was used in the laser shock semi-die forming experiment of constant elastic alloy 3J53 sheet metal. The experiment results show that the optimal laser pulse energy of precision control in laser shock semi-die forming is 15 J; and forming error can be reduced by more than 50% with the method of contours modification and compensation. The research work also lays a foundation for the theory formation of precision control of laser shock semi-die forming and the engineering applications of the laser shock forming technique.

The overall objective of this research project was to investigate phenomena involved in the filling of die cavities with molten alloy in the cold chamber die-casting process. It has long been recognized that the filling pattern of molten metal entering a die cavity influences the quality of die-cast parts. Filling pattern may be described as the progression of molten metal filling the die cavity geometry as a function of time. The location, size and geometric configuration of points of metal entry (gates), as well as the geometry of the casting cavity itself, have great influence on filling patterns. Knowledge of the anticipated filling patterns in die-castings is important for designers. Locating gates to avoid undesirable flow patterns that may entrap air in the casting is critical to casting quality - as locating vents to allow air to escape from the cavity (last places to fill). Casting quality attributes that are commonly flow related are non-fills, poor surface finish, internal porosity due to trapped air, cold shuts, cold laps, flow lines, casting skin delamination (flaking), and blistering during thermal treatment.

Cracking at a cooling hole is a typical die failure mode in a high-pressure die-casting (HPDC) die. We simulated the thermal distortion of a die considering the HPDC machine deflection and revealed a stress concentration at the cooling hole. The stress concentration at the cooling hole changes after injection or after spraying and blowing air. The cooling hole top remains in a compression stress state 5, 10, and 20 mm deep from the die surface, but the stress amplitudes are higher when the depths are shallower. It was suggested that cracking takes place due to the high compressive stress and that the shear stress assists the propagation of the initiated crack. On the other hand, the stress condition at the R portion of the cooling hole is always a tensile state, but the mean stress and stress amplitude values were not found to be in the range that causes fatigue fracture. It was demonstrated that the developed analysis is valuable in designing the cooling hole of an HPDC die.

Background: Marginal adaptation is very important in cast restorations. Maladaptation leads to plaque retention, reduction of mechanical and esthetic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision of three different impression materials (including: Additional silicone [AS] and condensational silicone [CS] and polyether [PE]) for duplicating master dies. Materials and Methods: Three master dies from an acrylic tooth model-with supragingival and shoulder finishing line was made by using PE: Impergum, CS: Speedex, and AS: Panasil separately. The Ni-Cr copings were prepared from master dies separately. They were placed on the acrylic model and the mean marginal difference was recorded by using a stereomicroscope. Then 30 duplicate test dies were made by using the same impression materials and the marginal gaps were recorded. The comparison was done by one-way ANOVA and SPSS software (Version 13) at a significant level of 0.05. Results: The mean marginal difference of four walls from Impergum (38.56 um) was the lowest than Speedex (38.92 um) and Panasil (38.24 um). The Impergum had the highest capability in making duplicate dies (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The Impergum impression material manifested the highest capability in making a better marginal adaptation of duplicate dies but further studies are needed to make a precise decision. PMID:26229364

Isothermal die forging is one of near net-shape metal-forming technologies. Strict control of billet temperature during isothermal die forging is a guarantee for the excellent properties of final product. In this study, a new method is proposed to accurately control the billet temperature of complex superalloy casing, based on the finite element simulation and response surface methodology (RSM). The proposed method is accomplished by the following two steps. Firstly, the thermal compensation process is designed and optimized to overcome the inevitable heat loss of dies during hot forging. i.e., the layout and opening time of heaters assembled on die sleeves are optimized. Then, the effects of forging speed (the pressing velocity of hydraulic machine) and its changing time on the maximum billet temperature are discussed. Furthermore, the optimized forging speed and its changing time are obtained by RSM. Comparisons between the optimized and conventional die forging processes indicate that the proposed method can effectively control the billet temperature within the optimal forming temperature range. So, the optimized die forging processes can guarantee the high volume fraction of dynamic recrystallization, and restrict the rapid growth of grains in the forged superalloy casing.

been thrown off of the dying star in an eruptive episode decades to centuries before the supernova explosion.This presents an interesting problem, because theoretical models of core-collapse supernovae typically assume that when a star loses its hydrogen envelope, this happens gradually over a long period of time, via a mechanism like strong stellar winds. If some stars are instead eruptively throwing off their outer layers long before they explode as supernova, we may need to make some serious changes in how we model stellar evolution and deaths in the future.A few Type Ib/c supernovae that display late-time radio re-brightenings with similarities to SN 2014C. [Margutti et al. 2017]Is SN 2014C Alone?Margutti and collaborators suggest that SN 2014C might be a type of bridge supernova. In this picture, the difference between ordinary Type Ib/c supernovae and Type IIn supernovae (which show signs of interaction with a dense medium right away) lies only in when the stars hydrogen envelope is thrown off: shortly before explosion for Type IIn supernovae, or decades to centuries beforehand for Type Ib/c supernovae.When the authors search a sample of 183 Type Ib/c supernovae, they find that roughly 10% of the supernovae in their sample show signs of late-time interactions similar to SN 2014C, lending support to this picture.We can certainly hope to gather observations of other supernovae behaving like SN 2014C in the future! In the meantime, our full look at SN 2014Cs transformation has given us plenty of new information to consider.CitationRaffaella Margutti et al 2017 ApJ 835 140. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/140

Die casting dies used in the metal casting industry fail due to thermal fatigue cracking accompanied by the presence of residual tensile stresses, corrosion, erosion and wear of die surfaces. This phase 1 SBIR Final Report summarize Karta Technologies research involving the development of an innovative laser coating technology for metal casting dies. The process involves depositing complex protective coatings of nanocrystalline powders of TiC followed by a laser shot peening. The results indicate a significant improvement in corrosion and erosion resistance in molten aluminum for H13 die casting die steels. The laser-coated samples also showed improved surface finish, a homogeneous and uniform coating mircrostructure. The technology developed in this research can have a significant impact on the casting industry by saving the material costs involved in replacing dies, reducing downtime and improving the quality.

In this work, we study the slip behaviors common to plastics die extrusion metals or platings using a new instrument called a dual-plate slipometer. By dual-plate, we mean that whereas the stationary plate incorporates a local shear stress transducer, the moving plate does not. The stationary plate and transducer are made of one stainless steel, but the moving plate is made from, or plated with, different extrusion die materials under study. This new instrument allows slip velocity to be measured without having to build a new shear stress transducer from each extrusion metal or plating under study. We explore the effect of extrusion die composition and die metal surface morphology on the slip properties of polyolefins using a sliding plate rheometer. In this work, we studied the slip behaviors of polyolefins on four common plastics die extrusion metals or platings, without having to build a new shear stress transducer from each. Specifically, our new method replaces the moving plate; with each of the four die metals or platings under study without changing the stainless steel material of the shear stress transducer and its stationary plate. Our experiments include high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene (PP) on four different die metals or platings. We use steady simple shear to obtain shear stress versus nominal shear rate for different gaps, from which we can then deduce the slip velocity using the Mooney analysis. We then fit four slip models to our experimental measurements, and we find the Hatzikiriakos hyperbolic sine model to be accurate, even for the measured inflections in the slip velocity as a function of shear stress curves. Our analysis includes detailed characterization of the die metal plating surfaces, including measurements of the composition of the sliding plates by energy dispersive spectroscopy, surface energy by contact angle goniometry, and surface roughness by both white light interference and stylus

Woody Allen once quoted, "I don't mind dying so much, I just don't want to be there when it happens" (as cited in Ingram, 2002, p. 1). Oftentimes, death is not a happy subject, a reality that most of us fear, yet something we all must face. In this paper, three articles were reviewed that explored the living-dying (Phillips, 1992) process of the terminally ill and the material was conceptualized in light of Rogers (1994) science of unitary human beings. To further understand and explore the living-dying process, creative examples (movie screenplay, novel, song and others) were cited. During the living-dying process exploration, three common themes were expressed by the subjects (dying persons), namely: valuing own perspective of quality of life; choosing personal meanings with ways of moving beyond with the possibles (Lee & Pilkington, 1999), while focusing on life's meaning rather than life's details (Dobratz, 2002); and connecting to the world-as-unknown while self-separating to the world-as-known in actively seeking the union with death (Kubler-Ross, 1981; Callanan & Kelly, 1992; Dobratz, 2002). It is important for healthcare providers to recognize and acknowledge all three themes to be able to understand dying persons, to focus on their wholeness rather than their disease, and to help families discern symbolic messages conveyed by them. Moreover, knowing these themes also enables healthcare providers to help all parties to transition and be able to accept and embrace the most difficult process—the living-dying (Phillips, 1992) process.

Molecules spewed outward from a dying star are confined into narrow jets by a tightly-wound magnetic field, according to astronomers who used the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio telescope to study an old star about 8,500 light-years from Earth. Magnetic Field Around Jet Artist's Conception Shows Tightly-Wound Magnetic Field Confining Jet CREDIT: NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on image for larger version) The star, called W43A, in the constellation Aquila, is in the process of forming a planetary nebula, a shell of brightly-glowing gas lit by the hot ember into which the star will collapse. In 2002, astronomers discovered that the aging star was ejecting twin jets of water molecules. That discovery was a breakthrough in understanding how many planetary nebulae are formed into elongated shapes. "The next question was, what is keeping this outpouring of material confined into narrow jets? Theoreticians suspected magnetic fields, and we now have found the first direct evidence that a magnetic field is confining such a jet," said Wouter Vlemmings, a Marie Curie Fellow working at the Jodrell Bank Observatory of the University of Manchester in England. "Magnetic fields previously have been detected in jets emitted by quasars and protostars, but the evidence was not conclusive that the magnetic fields were actually confining the jets. These new VLBA observations now make that direct connection for the very first time," Vlemmings added. By using the VLBA to study the alignment, or polarization, of radio waves emitted by water molecules in the jets, the scientists were able to determine the strength and orientation of the magnetic field surrounding the jets. "Our observations support recent theoretical models in which magnetically-confined jets produce the sometimes-complex shapes we see in planetary nebulae," said Philip Diamond, also of Jodrell Bank Observatory. During their "normal" lives, stars similar to our Sun are powered by the nuclear fusion

The goal of this project is to extend the lifetime of dies for die casting by 20%. Since the die contributes about 10% to the cost of die cast parts, such an improvement in lifetime would result in annual savings of over $200 Million dollars. This is based on the estimated annual die production of one Billion dollars in the US. The major tasks of this two year project are: (1) Evaluate NEW DIE STEEL COMPOSITIONS that have been developed for demanding applications and compare them to Premium Grade H-13 die steel. (2) Optimize the AUSTENITIZING TREATMENT of the new composition. Assess the effects of fast, medium and slow COOLING RATES DURING HEAT TREATMENT, on the thermal fatigue resistance and toughness of the die steel. (3) Determine the effect of ELECTRO-DISCHARGE MACHINING (EDM) on the thermal fatigue resistance and impact properties of the steel. (4) Select demanding components and conduct IN-PLANT TESTING by using the new steel. Compare the performance of the new steel with identical components made of Premium Grade H-13. The immersion thermal fatigue specimen developed at CWRU is being used to determine resistance to heat checking, and the Charpy V-notch test for evaluating the toughness. The overall result of this project will be identification of the best steel available on the market and the best processing methods for aluminum die casting dies. This is an interim report for year 1 of the project.

making larger and larger bodies as time progresses. But how sure can we be that this theory is correct ? It turns out that a crucial test is to measure how the matter now moves in the outskirts of these huge galaxies, at distances of 100,000 light-years or more from their centres. MOTIONS IN GIANT GALAXIES Swirling motion, or rotation, in galaxies comes originally from clumps of matter raising tides on each other through their gravitational pull, just as the Moon raises tides on the Earth. The tug of these tides makes the clumps spin. When the swirling clumps come together in computer simulations of what is going on in a newborn galaxy, they keep interacting, and the amount of swirling motion (``angular momentum'') is gradually shifted outward into the far outer regions of the new galaxy. If this theory is correct, we should therefore now see slow swirling motion or rotation in the inner parts of the giant galaxies, but quite rapid motion in their far outer regions. The first part is not so difficult to check observationally: the inner parts of giant galaxies are relatively bright and we can easily measure their rotation from the observed Doppler shift of the light from the stars and nebulae which are located here. However, to measure the rotation in the outer parts has, until now, proved impossible, because out there the light from the galaxy is just too faint to be observed, even with large astronomical telescopes. PLANETARY NEBULAE AS BEACONS Fortunately, a few years ago it was realised that there are some excellent beacons that we can use to measure the swirling motion far out in giant galaxies. These are the planetary nebulae that are created during the last dying act of stars like the Sun. Such objects are rare, because the planetary nebula phase does not last long in astronomical terms, but in these huge galaxies a few hundred of them may still be present in the outer regions at any time. The shining gas in a planetary nebula emits most of its light at one

Finding a good solution for thermal management problems is every day more complex. due to the power density and the required performances. When a solution suitable for high volumes is needed. die-casting and extrusion are the most convenient technologies. However designers have to face the well-known limitations for those processes. High Density Die Casting (HDDC) is a process under advanced development. in order to overcome the extrusion and traditional die casting limits by working with alloys having much better thermal performances than the traditional die-casting process. while keeping the advantages of a flexible 3D design and a low cost for high volumes. HDDC offers the opportunity to design combining different materials (aluminium and copper. aluminium and stainless steel) obtaining a structure with zero porosity and overcoming some of die-casting limits. as shown in this paper. A dedicated process involving embedded heat pipes is currently under development in order to offer the possibility to dramatically improve the heat spreading.

An investigation of the material flow during the clinching process with extensible dies is carried out. Clinched joints were produced under different forming loads to evaluate the evolution of the joints' profile experimentally. Tensile-shear tests were conducted to evaluate the influence of the forming load on mechanical strength of the clinched joint. Since the joints' strength depends on the joints' profile, which in turn depends on the punch-die cavity volume, an analysis of the forces acting on the extensible dies was carried out. A finite element model was developed and validated by comparing the predicted and measured material flow and quality criteria (e.g., neck thickness and undercut). Therefore, the FE model was utilized to analyze the evolution of contact forces acting on the die sectors during the joining process. Furthermore, the main causes of the asymmetry in the cross section of such joints have been studied. It turned out that the axial asymmetry due to material flow within the gap between consecutive die sectors increases with the punch force and the sheet thickness.

A new die-to-database high-resolution reticle defect inspection system has been developed for the 45nm logic node and extendable to the 32nm node (also the comparable memory nodes). These nodes will use predominantly 193nm immersion lithography although EUV may also be used. According to recent surveys, the predominant reticle types for the 45nm node are 6% simple tri-tone and COG. Other advanced reticle types may also be used for these nodes including: dark field alternating, Mask Enhancer, complex tri-tone, high transmission, CPL, EUV, etc. Finally, aggressive model based OPC will typically be used which will include many small structures such as jogs, serifs, and SRAF (sub-resolution assist features) with accompanying very small gaps between adjacent structures. The current generation of inspection systems is inadequate to meet these requirements. The architecture and performance of a new die-to-database inspection system is described. This new system is designed to inspect the aforementioned reticle types in die-to-database and die-to-die modes. Recent results from internal testing of the prototype systems are shown. The results include standard programmed defect test reticles and advanced 45nm and 32nm node reticles from industry sources. The results show high sensitivity and low false detections being achieved.

The dielectric slit die is an instrument that is designed to measure electrical, rheological, ultrasonics, optical, and other properties of a flowing liquid. In one application, it is connected to the exit of an extruder, pump or mixing machine that passes liquefied material such as molten plastic, solvents, slurries, colloidal suspensions, and foodstuffs into the sensing region of the slit-shaped die. Dielectric sensing is the primary element of the slit die, but in addition to the dielectric sensor, the die contains other sensing devices such as pressure, optical fiber, and ultrasonic sensors that simultaneously yield an array of materials property data. The slit die has a flexible design that permits interchangeability among sensors and sensor positions. The design also allows for the placement of additional sensors and instrumentation ports that expand the potential data package obtained. To demonstrate sensor operation, we present data from the extrusion and compounding of a polymer/clay nanocomposite. An analysis of the dielectric data involves a nonlinear fitting procedure that takes into account effects due to electrode polarization and dc conductivity. Light transmission through a filled polymer is analyzed in terms of a Beer's law attenuation coefficient.

The challenges of caring for a dying doctor reflect both common issues in helping the terminally ill and unique problems in working with a physician-patient. The dying doctor must deal with a familiar environment and set of problems from a radically different perspective and must negotiate overlapping and conflicting personal and professional roles. Some of the cardinal virtues of physicians--professional identity, expertise, perfectionism, selflessness, and stoicism--may pose both strengths and liabilities in the patient's role. The treating physicians may also encounter new strains in caring for a colleague. They must guard against both overinvolvement and underinvolvement, and, as with all dying persons, they must serve as a guide through unfamiliar territory for dying patient and family--a companion who is not afraid to listen to or explore the most upsetting matters, a person who can speak frankly when others may be ignoring "the horse on the dining room table." The case of Dr B, an internist dying of myelofibrosis and congestive heart failure, whose son is also a physician, offers the reader the opportunity to reflect on these challenges and to draw lessons about how to best care for fellow physicians at a time of great need. We suggest strategies for negotiating the patient-physician relationship when the patient is also a physician.

Two important microstructure characteristics of high pressure die cast magnesium alloy are the externally solidified crystals (ESCs) and the fully divorced eutectic which form at the filling stage of the shot sleeve and at the last stage of solidification in the die cavity, respectively. Both of them have a significant influence on the mechanical properties and performance of magnesium alloy die castings. In the present paper, a numerical model based on the cellular automaton (CA) method was developed to simulate the microstructure evolution of magnesium alloy during cold-chamber high pressure die casting (HPDC) process. Modeling of dendritic growth of magnesium alloy with six-fold symmetry was achieved by defining a special neighbourhood configuration and calculating of the growth kinetics from complete solution of the transport equations. Special attention was paid to establish a nucleation model considering both of the nucleation of externally solidified crystals in the shot sleeve and the massive nucleation in the die cavity. Meanwhile, simulation of the formation of fully divorced eutectic was also taken into account in the present CA model. Validation was performed and the capability of the present model was addressed by comparing the simulated results with those obtained by experiments.

Ultrathin flip-chip semiconductor die packaging on paper substrates is an enabling technology for a variety of extremely low-cost electronic devices with huge market potential such as RFID smart forms, smart labels, smart tickets, banknotes, security documents, etc. Highly flexible and imperceptible dice are possible only at a thickness of less than 50 μm, preferably down to 10-20 μm or less. Several cents per die cost is achievable only if the die size is <= 500 μm/side. Such ultrathin, ultra-small dice provide the flexibility and low cost required, but no conventional technology today can package such die onto a flexible substrate at low cost and high rate. The laser-enabled advanced packaging (LEAP) technology has been developed at the Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota, to accomplish this objective. Presented are results using LEAP to assemble dice with various thicknesses, including 350 μm/side dice as thin as 20 μm and less. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of using a laser to package conventional silicon dice with such small size and thickness. LEAP-packaged RFID-enabled paper for financial and security applications is also demonstrated. The cost of packaging using LEAP is lower compared to the conventional pick-and-place methods while the rate of packaging is much higher and independent of the die size.

Monte Carlo methods have been used to calculate neutron die-away times in a large-vehicle portal monitor. These calculations were performed to investigate the adequacy of using neutron die-away time measurements to detect the clandestine movement of shielded nuclear materials. The geometry consisted of a large tunnel lined with He/sup 3/ proportional counters. The time behavior of the (n,p) capture reaction in these counters was calculated when the tunnel contained a number of different tractor-trailer load configurations. Neutron die-away times obtained from weighted least squares fits to these data were compared. The change in neutron die-away time due to the replacement of cargo in a fully loaded truck with a spherical shell containing 240 kg of borated polyethylene was calculated to be less than 3%. This result together with the overall behavior of neutron die-away time versus mass inside the tunnel strongly suggested that measurements of this type will not provide a reliable means of detecting shielded nuclear materials in a large vehicle. 5 figures, 4 tables.

One of the main advantages of multi-die array light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is their high flux density. However, a challenge for using such a product in lighting fixture applications is the heat density and the need for thermal management to keep the junction temperatures of all the dies low for long-term reliable performance. Ten multi-die LED array samples for each product from four different manufacturers were subjected to lumen maintenance testing (as described in IES-LM-80-08), and their resulting lumen depreciation and failure modes were studied. The products were tested at the maximum case (or pin) temperature reported by the respective manufacturer by appropriately powering the LEDs. In addition, three samples for each product from two different manufacturers were subjected to rapid thermal cycling, and the resulting lumen depreciation and failure modes were studied. The results showed that the exponential lumen decay model using long-term lumen maintenance data as recommended in IES TM-21 does not fit for all package types. The failure of a string of dies and single die failure in a string were observed in some of the packages.

This paper uses a finite element-based sensitivity analysis method to design the preform die shape for metal forming processes. The sensitivity analysis was developed using the rigid visco-plastic finite element method. The preform die shapes are represented by cubic B-spline curves. The control points or coefficients of the B-spline are used as the design variables. The optimization problem is to minimize the difference between the realized and the desired final forging shapes. The sensitivity analysis includes the sensitivities of the objective function, nodal coordinates, and nodal velocities with respect to the design variables. The remeshing procedure and the interpolation/transfer of the history/dependent parameters are considered. An adjustment of the volume loss resulting from the finite element analysis is used to make the workpiece volume consistent in each optimization iteration and improve the optimization convergence. In addition, a technique for dealing with fold-over defects during the forming simulation is employed in order to continue the optimization procedures of the preform die shape design. The method developed in this paper is used to design the preform die shape for both plane strain and axisymmetric deformations with shaped cavities. The analysis shows that satisfactory final forging shapes are obtained using the optimized preform die shapes.

It is commonly understood that thermal cycling at high temperature ramp rates may activate unrepresentative failure mechanisms. Increasing the temperature ramp rate of thermal cycling, however, could dramatically reduce the test time required to achieve an equivalent amount of thermal fatigue damage, thereby reducing overall test time. Therefore, the effect of temperature ramp rate on physical damage in the CPV die-attach is investigated. Finite Element Model (FEM) simulations of thermal fatigue and thermal cycling experiments are made to determine if the amount of damage calculated results in a corresponding amount of physical damage measured to the die-attach for a variety of fast temperature ramp rates. Preliminary experimental results are in good agreement with simulations and reinforce the potential of increasing temperature ramp rates. Characterization of the microstructure and resulting fatigue crack in the die-attach suggest a similar failure mechanism across all ramp rates tested.

This study is to develop related manufacturing technologies of LZ91 magnesium alloy M6 screws. Firstly, a warm heading process composed of three stages is proposed. The material flow pattern of the billet inside the die is analyzed using the finite element analyses. The effects of the friction factor, die speed and forming temperature on the heading load are discussed. The effects of the stroke at the first stage on the formability at the second stage are also discussed. Finally, warm heading experiments are conducted using a self-designed die set and a lubricant of MoS2. The experimental values of heading load and product shapes and dimensions are compared with the simulation results to verify the validity of the finite element models and the proposed warm heading procedures.

During the recent 10-15 years, Computer Aided Process Planning and Die Design evolved as one of the most important engineering tools in sheet metal forming, particularly in the automotive industry. This emerging role is strongly emphasized by the rapid development of Finite Element Modeling, as well. The purpose of this paper is to give a general overview about the recent achievements in this very important field of sheet metal forming and to introduce some special results in this development activity. Therefore, in this paper, an integrated process simulation and die design system developed at the University of Miskolc, Department of Mechanical Engineering will be analyzed. The proposed integrated solutions have great practical importance to improve the global competitiveness of sheet metal forming in the very important segment of industry. The concept described in this paper may have specific value both for process planning and die design engineers.

The development of new die-casting alloys is a multifaceted task, where success depends upon the ability to control a chain of properties, and where the weakest link determines the outcome. Optimizing one property by alloying often comes at the expense of one or more other properties. A typical example is yield strength vs. ductility. In developing alloys for high-pressure die casting, the peculiar aspects of the process must be considered. High injection speeds, high metal pressures, and the lack of efficient thermal barriers lead to extremely high cooling rates. This makes high-pressure die casting unique since the resulting refined microstructure provides excellent mechanical properties. In this article, the influence of alloy composition on mechanical properties is investigated, with special emphasis on strength and ductility.

The Netherlands was one of the first countries in the world to establish a legal framework for physician-assisted dying (PAD). In this article, we provide an overview of the public, political, legal, and medical debates on physician-assisted dying in The Netherlands, focusing on the role of psychiatry and mental illness. The number of individuals with chronic mental illness requesting PAD has been relatively small (although the number can be expected to increase because of the activities of various civic organizations advocating the right to die) and Dutch psychiatrists have been extremely reluctant to respond to such requests. Nevertheless, mental conditions have been central to the public debate on PAD by helping to define the nature and limits of current legislation and professional practice. Although a few Dutch psychiatrists have campaigned to increase the involvement of psychiatrists and many support PAD in principle, the majority has been hesitant to engage in PAD despite increasing public pressure.

The article outlines the issues that the internet presents to death studies. Part 1 describes a range of online practices that may affect dying, the funeral, grief and memorialization, inheritance and archaeology; it also summarizes the kinds of research that have been done in these fields. Part 2 argues that these new online practices have implications for, and may be illuminated by, key concepts in death studies: the sequestration (or separation from everyday life) of death and dying, disenfranchisement of grief, private grief, social death, illness and grief narratives, continuing bonds with the dead, and the presence of the dead in society. In particular, social network sites can bring dying and grieving out of both the private and public realms and into the everyday life of social networks beyond the immediate family, and provide an audience for once private communications with the dead.

This work builds upon our recent advances in quantifying high-rate deformation behavior of sheet metals, during electro-hydraulic forming (EHF), using high-speed imaging and digital image correlation techniques. Following recent publication of an earlier manuscript, resulting from this project, in the Journal of Materials Processing Technology, this manuscript further details our results and compares forming behavior when the process is carried out inside an open-die or a conical die. It is anticipated that quantitative information of the sheet deformation history, made possible by the experimental technique developed in this work, will improve our understanding on the roles of strain-rate and sheet-die interactions in enhancing the sheet metal formability during high-rate forming. This knowledge will be beneficial to the automotive industry and enable them to fabricate light-weight sheet parts out of Al and advanced high strength steels.

Fresh fuel experiments for the differential die-away (DDA) project were performed using a DT neutron generator, a 15x15 PWR fuel assembly, and nine 3He detectors in a water tank inside of a shielded cell at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Eight different fuel enrichments were created using low enriched (LEU) and depleted uranium (DU) dioxide fuel rods. A list-mode data acquisition system recorded the time-dependent signal and analysis of the DDA signal die-away time was performed. The die-away time depended on the amount of fissile material in the fuel assembly and the position of the detector. These experiments were performed in support of the spent nuclear fuel Next Generation Safeguards Initiative DDA project. Lessons learned from the fresh fuel DDA instrument experiments and simulations will provide useful information to the spent fuel project.

Recycling of aluminum die-casting scraps for solar-grade silicon (SOG-Si) feedstock was performed successfully. 3 N purity Si was extracted from A383 die-casting scrap by using the combined process of solvent refining and an advanced centrifugal separation technique. The efficiency of separating Si from scrap alloys depended on both impurity level of scraps and the starting temperature of centrifugation. Impurities in melt and processing temperature governed the microstructure of the primary Si. The purity of Si extracted from the scrap melt was 99.963%, which was comparable to that of Si extracted from a commercial Al-30 wt% Si alloy, 99.980%. The initial purity of the scrap was 2.2% lower than that of the commercial alloy. This result confirmed that die-casting scrap is a potential source of high-purity Si for solar cells.

Recent developments in the production of low-cost titanium powders have rejuvenated interest in manufacturing titanium powder metallurgy components by direct press and sinter techniques. However excessive friction typically observed during titanium powder pressing operations leads to numerous problems ranging from non-homogeneous green densities of the compacted powder to excessive part ejection forces and reduced die life due to wear and galling. An instrumented double-acting die press was developed to both investigate the mechanics of titanium powder pressing (particularly for the new low-cost powder morphologies) and to screen potential lubricants that could reduce frictional effects. As will be discussed, the instrument was used to determine friction coefficients and to evaluate a number of candidate lubricants. These results were then used to optimize the lubricant system to reduce die-wall stresses and improve part density uniformity.

The authors describe a class of microscale heaters fabricated with CMOS processes on silicon wafers. These heaters were designed to produce localized high temperatures above 400 C for test and sensor applications. The temperature levels produced for various input powers and the thermal profiles surrounding the heater for packaged and wafer-level heater structures were studied to guide the placement of microelectronics integrated with the heater structures on the same die. To show the performance of the design, they present resistance sensor measurements, IR temperature profiles, and results from a 3D thermal model of the die. This effort demonstrates that it is possible to successfully operate both a microscale heater and microcircuits on the same die.

We performed a multicenter comparative survey on undergraduate medical education regarding the care of dying patients at medical schools in three countries. We enrolled 380 first- and sixth-year medical students from Universidad Austral (Argentina), Universidad de Navarra (Spain), and Università Campus Biomedico di Roma (Italy). Answers to the questions were similar among the three universities. Students acknowledged interacting directly with dying patients in all cases. Attitudes toward dying patients were highly positive. Students spontaneously requested more training in end-of-life care. Some attitudes and wishes varied significantly from course to course. Students perceived that this issue received more attention in humanistic rather than in clinical subjects. Ninety-eight percent of students considered that death and helping patients to have a good death should be included in their training. Students' attitudes revealed high interest and poor training in end-of-life issues. Medical curricula should be improved to adequately address these issues.

Nimonic-80A is a kind of nickel-based superalloys which is used in high temperature components of land gas turbines. In this paper, the influence of four design factors: die temperature, strain rate, friction coefficient and geometry size of ring sample over the variation of internal diameters (VID) and forging load (FL) was studied. It was done by means of design methodology based on DOE-designated full factorial and FE simulations. FEM and experimental results showed that the variation of internal diameters and forging load had inverse proportion to the die temperature. Regression models were developed by using the response surface methodology (RSM) for VID and FL. Rate of the dynamic recrystallization varied depending on different amounts of die temperature. The results can be used in the semi-isothermal forging of complex part of the Nimonic-80A.

In this research, we develop transient liquid-phase bonding by uniaxial pressing using a Ag-Sn system. The Ag-Sn system was fabricated using Ag and Sn fine powder paste at optimized the proportions. The die bonding was performed for Cu substrates and metalized Si chips, and the sintering process was analyzed by cross-sectional observation. Die shear strength of bonded specimens was also measured. As a result, Ag-Sn completely formed a solid solution, also, Sn and Cu from substrates formed an intermetallic compound. The die shear strength was approximately 40 MPa obtained at 50 wt % Ag proportion of paste at 260, 280, and 300 °C sintering.

In the past decade, sheet metal forming and die development has been transformed to a science-based and technology-driven engineering and manufacturing enterprise from a tryout-based craft. Stamping CAE, especially the sheet metal forming simulation, as one of the core components in digital die making and digital stamping, has played a key role in this historical transition. The stamping simulation technology and its industrial applications have greatly impacted automotive sheet metal product design, die developments, die construction and tryout, and production stamping. The stamping CAE community has successfully resolved the traditional formability problems such as splits and wrinkles. The evolution of the stamping CAE technology and business demands opens even greater opportunities and challenges to stamping CAE community in the areas of (1) continuously improving simulation accuracy, drastically reducing simulation time-in-system, and improving operationalability (friendliness) (2) resolving those historically difficult-to-resolve problems such as dimensional quality problems (springback and twist) and surface quality problems (distortion and skid/impact lines) (3) resolving total manufacturability problems in line die operations including blanking, draw/redraw, trim/piercing, and flanging, and (4) overcoming new problems in forming new sheet materials with new forming techniques. In this article, the author first provides an overview of the stamping CAE technology adventures and achievements, and industrial applications in the past decade. Then the author presents a summary of increasing manufacturability needs from the formability to total quality and total manufacturability of sheet metal stampings. Finally, the paper outlines the new needs and trends for continuous improvements and innovations to meet increasing challenges in line die formability and quality requirements in automotive stamping.

In the past decade, sheet metal forming and die development has been transformed to a science-based and technology-driven engineering and manufacturing enterprise from a tryout-based craft. Stamping CAE, especially the sheet metal forming simulation, as one of the core components in digital die making and digital stamping, has played a key role in this historical transition. The stamping simulation technology and its industrial applications have greatly impacted automotive sheet metal product design, die developments, die construction and tryout, and production stamping. The stamping CAE community has successfully resolved the traditional formability problems such as splits and wrinkles. The evolution of the stamping CAE technology and business demands opens even greater opportunities and challenges to stamping CAE community in the areas of (1) continuously improving simulation accuracy, drastically reducing simulation time-in-system, and improving operationalability (friendliness), (2) resolving those historically difficult-to-resolve problems such as dimensional quality problems (springback and twist) and surface quality problems (distortion and skid/impact lines), (3) resolving total manufacturability problems in line die operations including blanking, draw/redraw, trim/piercing, and flanging, and (4) overcoming new problems in forming new sheet materials with new forming techniques. In this article, the author first provides an overview of the stamping CAE technology adventures and achievements, and industrial applications in the past decade. Then the author presents a summary of increasing manufacturability needs from the formability to total quality and total manufacturability of sheet metal stampings. Finally, the paper outlines the new needs and trends for continuous improvements and innovations to meet increasing challenges in line die formability and quality requirements in automotive stamping.

Background. In the end-of-life (EOL) phase, high-grade glioma (HGG) patients have a high symptom burden and often lose independence because of physical and cognitive dysfunction. This might affect the patient's personal dignity. We aimed to (a) assess the proportion of HGG patients dying with dignity as perceived by their relatives and (b) identify disease and care factors correlated with dying with dignity in HGG patients. Methods. We approached relatives of a cohort of 155 deceased HGG patients for the study. Participants completed a questionnaire concerning the EOL phase of the patient, covering several subthemes: (a) symptoms and signs, (b) health-related quality of life, (c) decision making, (d) place and quality of EOL care, and (e) dying with dignity. Results. Relatives of 81 patients participated and 75% indicated that the patient died with dignity. These patients had fewer communication deficits, experienced fewer transitions between health care settings in the EOL phase, and more frequently died at their preferred place of death. Relatives were more satisfied with the physician providing EOL care and reported that the physician adequately explained treatment options. Multivariate analysis identified satisfaction with the physician, the ability to communicate, and the absence of transitions between settings as most predictive of a dignified death. Conclusions. Physicians caring for HGG patients in the EOL phase should timely focus on explaining possible treatment options, because patients experience communication deficits toward death. Physicians should strive to allow patients to die at their preferred place and avoid transitions during the last month of life. PMID:23335620

Two matters that have a significant presence in the contemporary Dutch assisted dying debate, are the nature of the suffering required for an assisted death to be lawful, and the issue of who can lawfully assist. This article explores whether the lawful medical assisted dying model is too restrictive in failing to recognise existential suffering, considering selected case studies involving such suffering and lay assisted death. It addresses the question whether The Netherlands would take a trip down a slippery slope if the lawful model of assisted death were extended to cases where individuals are 'tired of life'.

The obtention of a working model and the preparation of the die must be developed with great care and attention to detail. Based on these principles, a study was conducted referring to the different kinds of special plasters or die plasters available on the market, with respect to dimensional alterations, as well as an investigation of the dimensional behavior of special plasters in the presence of two additives. The results shows that Vel-mix had the greatest difference. All the special plasters brands showed alterations when the Gypsum Hardener were used. These alterations did not occur with sodium chloride.

Die filling is an important part of the powder compaction process chain, where defects in the final part can be introduced—or prevented. Simulation of this process is therefore a goal for many part producers and has been studied by some researchers already. In this work, we focus on the influence of the surrounding air on the powder flow. We demonstrate the implementing and coupling of the discrete element method for the granular powder and the smoothed particle hydrodynamics method for the gas flow. Application of the method to the die filling process is demonstrated.

As a net shape process, die casting is intrinsically efficient and improvements in energy efficiency are strongly dependent on design and process improvements that reduce scrap rates so that more of the total consumed energy goes into acceptable, usable castings. A casting that is distorted and fails to meet specified dimensional requirements is typically remelted but this still results in a decrease in process yield, lost productivity, and increased energy consumption. This work focuses on developing, and expanding the use of, computer modeling methods that can be used to improve the dimensional accuracy of die castings and produce die designs and machine/die setups that reduce rejection rates due to dimensional issues. A major factor contributing to the dimensional inaccuracy of the casting is the elastic deformations of the die cavity caused by the thermo mechanical loads the dies are subjected to during normal operation. Although thermal and die cavity filling simulation are widely used in the industry, structural modeling of the die, particularly for managing part distortion, is not yet widely practiced. This may be due in part to the need to have a thorough understanding of the physical phenomenon involved in die distortion and the mathematical theory employed in the numerical models to efficiently model the die distortion phenomenon. Therefore, two of the goals of this work are to assist in efforts to expand the use of structural modeling and related technologies in the die casting industry by 1) providing a detailed modeling guideline and tutorial for those interested in developing the necessary skills and capability and 2) by developing simple meta-models that capture the results and experience gained from several years of die distortion research and can be used to predict key distortion phenomena of relevance to a die caster with a minimum of background and without the need for simulations. These objectives were met. A detailed modeling tutorial was

FEM simulation and accelerated thermal cycling have been performed for the CPV die attach. Trends in fatigue damage accumulation and equivalent test time are explored and found to be most sensitive to temperature ramp rate. Die attach crack growth is measured through cycling and found to be in excellent agreement with simulations of the inelastic strain energy accumulated. Simulations of an entire year of weather data provides for the relative ranking of fatigue damage between four cites as well as their equivalent accelerated test time.

Differential die-away-analysis (DDAA) is a sensitive technique to detect presence of fissile materials such as 235U and 239Pu. DDAA uses a high-energy (14 MeV) pulsed neutron generator to interrogate a shipping container. The signature is a fast neutron signal hundreds of microseconds after the cessation of the neutron pulse. This fast neutron signal has decay time identical to the thermal neutron diffusion decay time of the inspected cargo. The theoretical aspects of a cargo inspection system based on the differential die-away technique are explored. A detailed mathematical model of the system is developed, and experimental results validating this model are presented.

In the absence of immortality, the human species has over the millennia developed rites and rituals to help in the passing of life to honor the person who is dying or has died or in some way demonstrate their “courage” and perseverance as well as duty even in the face of almost certain death. The centuries-old traditions of the gathering of loved ones, the chanting of prayers, the ritual religious blessings are in the process of being replaced by the “miracles” of modern medical technology. PMID:25717389

The aim of this research was to measure, analyze, and model the pressure distribution characteristics of powder deposition into rectangular and circular shallow dies using four filling methods. The feed shoe, the rotational rainy, the point feed, and the pneumatic filling methods were used to investigate the deposition characteristics into shallow dies. In order to evaluate the pressure distribution during filling of shallow dies, factors influencing powder deposition were studied. The factors included particle size and shape, particle size distribution, feed shoe speed, and tube cross-section (in case of feed shoe filling) and deposition rates (in case of rotational rainy, point feed, and pneumatic filling). A battery powder mixture (BPM) and microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH102) with median size of 84 and 600mum, respectively, were used to fill a shallow rectangular die 32x30 mm and 6.5 mm deep and a shallow circular die 35 mm in diameter and 6.5 mm deep. The second generation of pressure deposition tester (PDT-II) with circular and square feed shoe tube cross-sections was used to measure the two powders' pressure distribution characteristics. An innovative rotational rainy filling device was designed and fabricated. This versatile device can be used to measure filling characteristics at different rotational speeds (1-10 rpm) for various powders. The point feed (funnel fill) method with a funnel of 30 mm inlet diameter and 4.2 mm outlet diameter opening was used to fill the rectangular and circular shallow dies. The pneumatic filling method was designed and fabricated to fill the die using air as the conveying medium in a rectangular cross-section tube. The pneumatic filling device was limited to using only the BPM powder, since the Avicel powder generated substantial quantity of airborne dust during the test. Symmetry analysis, variance metrics, and uniformity analysis were used to quantify the deposition characteristics. The results showed that: (1) filled

A completely foundry compatible chip-scale package for surface micromachines has been successfully demonstrated. A pyrex (Corning 7740) glass cover is placed over the released surface micromachined die and anodically bonded to a planarized polysilicon bonding ring. Electrical feedthroughs for the surface micromachine pass underneath the polysilicon sealing ring. The package has been found to be hermetic with a leak rate of less than 5 x 10{sup {minus}8} atm cm{sup {minus}3}/s. This technology has applications in the areas of hermetic encapsulation and wafer level release and die separation.

Open and honest communication has been identified as an important factor in providing good palliative care. However, there is no easy solution to if, when, and how parents and a dying child should communicate about death. This article reports how bereaved parents communicated about death with their child, dying from a malignancy. Communication was often initiated by the child and included communication through narratives such as fairy tales and movies and talking more directly about death itself. Parents also reported that their child prepared for death by giving instructions about his or her grave or funeral and giving away toys.

The laser shock peening process was used to increase fatigue life of pilger dies made of A2 tool steel by imparting compressive residual stresses to fatigue prone areas of the dies. The result of X-Ray diffraction analysis indicated that deep, high- magnitude compressive residual stresses were generated by the laser shock peening process, and the peened dies exhibited a significant increase of in-service life. Fractography of the failed dies indicates that the fracture mechanism was altered by the peening process.

Non-physician volunteers of Exit, the largest right-to-die organization in Switzerland, play an important role in assisted suicide. They conduct assessments and deliver lethal medications for a member to self-administer. This study analyses the content of 114 intake sheets (checklists) of Exit members whose requests for assisted suicide were…

A survey of 190 Israeli nursing students found that just over half were opposed to legalization of physician-assisted dying. Exposure to theory about euthanasia or clinical oncology experience had a small effect on these attitudes. Religious beliefs and degree of religiosity were significant determinants of these attitudes. (Contains 23…

Recent drought conditions have led to unprecedented levels of plant mortality across the arid Southwestern US. An unaddressed feature of the effects of this drought is how variation in soil characteristics and soil hydrological behavior has affected desert plant canopy die-back and mortality. Here...

Hot forging dies are exposed during service to a combination of cyclic thermo-mechanical, tribological and chemical loads. Besides abrasive and adhesive wear on the die surface, fatigue crack initiation with subsequent fracture is one of the most frequent causes of failure. In order to extend the tool life, the finite element analysis (FEA) may serve as a means for process design and process optimisation. So far the FEA based estimation of the production cycles until initial cracking is limited as tool material behaviour due to repeated loading is not captured with the required accuracy. Material models which are able to account for cyclic effects are not verified for the fatigue life predictions of forging dies. Furthermore fatigue properties from strain controlled fatigue tests of relevant hot work steels are to date not available to allow for a close-to-reality fatigue life prediction. Two industrial forging processes, where clear fatigue crack initiation has been observed are considered for a fatigue analysis. For this purpose the relevant tool components are modelled with elasto-plastic material behaviour. The predicted sites, where crack initiation occurs, agree with the ones observed on the real die component.

Following a chaplain's lecture on the end of life, nursing students wrote reaction papers on appropriate ways to support dying patients and their families. Six processes emerged, including the core concept of the nurse's presence at the bedside. (Contains 23 references.) (SK)

... transporting in commerce, or importing any dead, dying, disabled or diseased animals or parts of the carcasses... sale or transportation, in commerce, or import any dead livestock if its hide or skin has been removed; (b) Sell, transport, offer for sale or transportation, or receive for transportation, in...

In study of hospitalized suicidal youth, account of 16-year-old girl, diagnosed as schizophrenic, is analyzed to gain insight into family's role in suicidal career of adolescent preoccupied with death and dying, sleep, and drugs; the interplay of her construction of reality with her risk-taking, self-injurious way of life; and her perceived…

These training standards for tool and die makers are intended to be used by apprentice/trainees, instructors, and companies in Ontario, Canada, as a blueprint for training or as a prerequisite for accreditation/certification. The training standards identify skills required for this occupation and its related training program. They are designed…

Recognition of the dying phase, i.e., the period during which death is expected to occur within hours or days, is important because it enables marking the imminence of death, informing the patient and his relatives, and adjusting care where needed. Careful communication about a patient's limited prognosis prepares patients and their family for impending death and saying goodbye. The authors describe two cases of patients dying a relatively unexpected death in a hospice, which is uncommon in this setting. These unexpected deaths had a severe impact on the relatives and on the professional care team. Both patients used dexamethasone. The authors postulate that there is a relationship between the use of dexamethasone and difficulty in recognizing the dying phase. Dexamethasone can make patients feel better, increase their appetite, and influence the stress response. These effects could mask the signs of impending death, such as "being bedbound," "only drinking sips," and "being subcomatose." Review of the literature yielded no articles that support or reject this hypothesis. Because dexamethasone is used regularly in the palliative phase of a chronic disease, there is a need for further exploration of its effects in the dying phase.

Raises issues about the obligation of an author to depict ethnic or religious groups such as the Shakers in accurate terms. Takes issues with Robert Newton Peck's "A Day No Pigs Would Die," charging that it presents an almost libelous picture of the Shakers. Reviews Shaker history and culture. (TB)

A new 193nm wavelength high resolution reticle defect inspection platform has been developed for both die-to-database and die-to-die inspection modes. In its initial configuration, this innovative platform has been designed to meet the reticle qualification requirements of the IC industry for the 22nm logic and 3xhp memory generations (and shrinks) with planned extensions to the next generation. The 22nm/3xhp IC generation includes advanced 193nm optical lithography using conventional RET, advanced computational lithography, and double patterning. Further, EUV pilot line lithography is beginning. This advanced 193nm inspection platform has world-class performance and the capability to meet these diverse needs in optical and EUV lithography. The architecture of the new 193nm inspection platform is described. Die-to-database inspection results are shown on a variety of reticles from industry sources; these reticles include standard programmed defect test reticles, as well as advanced optical and EUV product and product-like reticles. Results show high sensitivity and low false and nuisance detections on complex optical reticle designs and small feature size EUV reticles. A direct comparison with the existing industry standard 257nm wavelength inspection system shows measurable sensitivity improvement for small feature sizes

The contribution deals with eco-friendly solutions for shortened production chains of forging light alloys. During the die forging operations a remarkable amount of material goes into the flash and later on into chips during finish machining. These low value side products are rich with embedded energy therefore recycling or reprocessing could be very energy saving procedure.In cooperation with a die forging company a shortened reprocessing cycle has been studied starting from re-melting the forging flash and without additional heating to cast preforms for subsequent die forging. As such preforms have not as good formability characteristics as those done from extruded billets the isothermal forging process has been adopted. First results showed that without cracks and other defects the formability is sufficient for a broad spectrum of forgings.To improve the formability a homogenization process of cast preforms has been implemented. As the process started immediately after casting, amount of additional energy for heating was minimized. To reduce voids forging process was redesigned in a way to assure greater hydrostatic pressures in parts during forging. First results were promising therefore research is going towards improving processes without adding significantly more energy as it is needed for casting with homogenization and die forging.

The purpose of this study was to explore the conceptions, feelings and attitudes of elementary and junior high school students toward the topics of aging, the elderly, death, and dying. To gather data, an announcement was made to all schools within the state that the Rhode Island Gerontology Center would sponsor a contest for all school children…

A significant portion of the total manufacturing time for a die or a mould, both used extensively in producing complex shaped parts, is spent on surface finishing operations following the primary machining of the die or mould cavity. Hence, there is considerable incentive in pursuing even partial automation of die or mould surface finishing operations. This paper concentrates on the control issues that arise during automation of die and mould surface finishing using industrial robot held tools, with particular attention being devoted to the design and evaluation of force controllers to maintain the desired tool-workpiece interaction. Simplified models of the polishing process including the effect of robot structural compliance are presented first, for analysing and designing controllers. A through-the-arm robot force control implementation using off-the-shelf tooling is discussed next. However, the major focus of this paper is on active end effector force control since there are limitations in the performance of the through-the-arm force control loop. Active end effector force controller design requirements and a simple robust stability test in the face of model uncertainty are given and applied to several design examples. Results of force controller analysis and design are verified by experiments where force regulation during polishing and trajectory tracking are demonstrated.

Mechanical stresses in advanced electronic packages for space and terrestrial applications can cause premature failures due to such causes as fracture of the die, severing of connections, die bond failure, solder fatigue, and encapsulant cracking. These stresses are often thermally-induced, and result from uneven expansions and contractions of the various assembly materials due to mismatches in the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE's). In this work, special (111) silicon test chips containing an array of piezoresistive stress sensor rosettes have been applied within several plastic encapsulated electronic packaging configurations. The test chips contain optimized eight element dual polarity rosettes which are capable of evaluating the complete stress state (6 stress components) at points on the surface of the die. Calibrated and characterized test chips were packaged in chip-on-board configurations using ``glob-top'' liquid encapsulants. The post packaging room temperature resistances of the sensors were then recorded. Using the measured resistance changes and appropriate theoretical equations, the stresses in the die have been calculated. Also, three-dimensional nonlinear finite element simulations of the chip-on-board packages were performed. The experimental results were in good agreement with the finite element predictions.

Frequently the durability of the forging dies is firstly determined by the non-isothermal fatigue wear, which causes the cracks appearance on their internal surfaces, much more before their abrasion wear to reach the limit value. In these conditions it is necessary to design the forging dies firstly by the point of view of the non-isothermal fatigue wear. For a correctly choosing and using of metallic material, it is necessary to determine their intrinsic characteristics regarding its cyclic non-isothermal stresses durability. The experimental determination of these characteristics implies a lot of experiments, which are done in specific conditions, different from those used for isothermal mechanical fatigue durability determination. The paper presents the experimental results concerning intrinsic characteristic determination of the forging dies steel. Based on these results there were determined specific equations which characterize this kind of stresses, and the diagrams that represent their graphic image. These data can be used both in designing and exploitation of the forging dies.

We report a phenomenon wherein induction of cell death by a variety of means in wing imaginal discs of Drosophila larvae resulted in the activation of an anti-apoptotic microRNA, bantam. Cells in the vicinity of dying cells also become harder to kill by ionizing radiation (IR)-induced apoptosis. Both ban activation and increased protection from IR required receptor tyrosine kinase Tie, which we identified in a genetic screen for modifiers of ban. tie mutants were hypersensitive to radiation, and radiation sensitivity of tie mutants was rescued by increased ban gene dosage. We propose that dying cells activate ban in surviving cells through Tie to make the latter cells harder to kill, thereby preserving tissues and ensuring organism survival. The protective effect we report differs from classical radiation bystander effect in which neighbors of irradiated cells become more prone to death. The protective effect also differs from the previously described effect of dying cells that results in proliferation of nearby cells in Drosophila larval discs. If conserved in mammals, a phenomenon in which dying cells make the rest harder to kill by IR could have implications for treatments that involve the sequential use of cytotoxic agents and radiation therapy. PMID:24675716

Spaghetti was prepared using dies made of different materials. The surface was observed using digital and optical microscopes, and was rougher for the spaghettis prepared using the Teflon, polypropylene, polycarbonate, aluminum, and bronze dies in this order. The extrusion velocity when passing through the die was faster, the bulk density was higher, and the rupture strength was greater for the spaghetti having the smoother surface. The die material did not affect the gelatinization temperature. The water sorption curves in boiling water containing 0.5% (w/v) sodium chloride were also observed. The curves were expressed by an equation of the hyperbolic type except for the early stage of sorption in order to estimate the equilibrium amount of water sorbed based on the bone-dry sample. The momentarily-sorbed amount of water, which is a hypothetical quantity to characterize the initial water intake, was estimated by fitting the experimental points within 60 s. The amount was higher for the spaghetti having the rougher surface.

... From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office ] DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service 26 CFR Part 20 Estate Tax; Estates of Decedents Dying After August 16, 1954 CFR Correction 0 In Title 26 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 2 to 29, revised as of April 1, 2011,...

The effects of sludge intermetallic particles on the mechanical properties of a secondary AlSi9Cu3(Fe) die-casting alloy have been studied. Different alloys have been produced by systematically varying the Fe, Mn, and Cr contents within the composition tolerance limits of the standard EN AC-46000 alloy. The microstructure shows primary α-Al x (Fe,Mn,Cr) y Si z sludge particles, with polyhedral and star-like morphologies, although the presence of primary β-Al5FeSi phase is also observed at the highest Fe:Mn ratio. The volume fraction of primary compounds increases as the Fe, Mn, and Cr contents increase and this can be accurately predicts from the Sludge Factor by a linear relationship. The sludge amount seems to not influence the size and the content of porosity in the die-cast material. Furthermore, the sludge factor is not a reliable parameter to describe the mechanical properties of the die-cast AlSi9Cu3(Fe) alloy, because this value does not consider the mutual interaction between the elements. In the analyzed range of composition, the design of experiment methodology and the analysis of variance have been used in order to develop a semi-empirical model that accurately predicts the mechanical properties of the die-cast AlSi9Cu3(Fe) alloys as function of Fe, Mn, and Cr concentrations.

... SECURITY; DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) PERSONAL DECLARATIONS AND EXEMPTIONS Other Exemptions § 148.54 Exemption for effects of citizens dying abroad. (a) Exemption. Articles claimed to be personal... if the value of such effects does not exceed $250, entry may be permitted under the provisions...

Participant-observation research was conducted in the home care components of a free-standing inpatient facility associated with several hospice organizations over three years. The data are reported using negotiated order theory as a framework for understanding the hospice movement and its attempts to change the experience of dying. (JPS)

During high-speed sheet metal forming processes, the speed at which the work piece contacts the die tooling is on the order of hundreds of meters per second. When the impact is concentrated over a small contact area, the resulting contact stress can compromise the structural integrity of the die tooling. Therefore, it is not only important to model the behavior of the workpiece during the high-speed sheet metal forming process, but also important to predict accurately the associated workpiece/tooling interface loads so that engineers can more confidently propose robust die tooling designs. The foundation to accurate predictions of contact stress on die tooling is a reliable contact model within the context of a finite element simulation. In literature, however, there exists no comprehensive guideline for establishing a contact model for high-speed sheet metal forming processes using the finite element method. In this paper, mathematically justified contact model recommendations are offered for the electrohydraulic forming (EHF) process.

Home health care patients often have several late-life risk factors for suicide and constitute a high risk group for suicidal behaviors. In this study, we examined the characteristics of 14 older adult home health care utilizers who died by suicide and four community controls who used similar services. Both groups of home health care utilizers had…

This project addressed multiple aspects of the aluminum melting and handling in die casting operations, with the objective of increasing the energy efficiency while improving the quality of the molten metal. The efficiency of melting has always played an important role in the profitability of aluminum die casting operations. Consequently, die casters need to make careful choices in selecting and operating melting equipment and procedures. The capital cost of new melting equipment with higher efficiency can sometimes be recovered relatively fast when it replaces old melting equipment with lower efficiency. Upgrades designed to improve energy efficiency of existing equipment may be well justified. Energy efficiency is however not the only factor in optimizing melting operations. Melt losses and metal quality are also very important. Selection of melting equipment has to take into consideration the specific conditions at the die casting shop such as availability of floor space, average quantity of metal used as well as the ability to supply more metal during peaks in demand. In all these cases, it is essential to make informed decisions based on the best available data.

A novel Ni.sub.3 Al-based alloy exhibits strengths and hardness in excess of the standard base alloy IC-221M at temperatures of up to about 1000.degree. C. The alloy is useful in tool and die applications requiring such temperatures, and for structural elements in engineering systems exposed to such temperatures.

Discusses the use of children's picture books to assist preschool children's understanding of the "realness," permanence, and inclusiveness of death as part of the life cycle. Provides a list of "Do's and don'ts for helping children grieve" and a bibliography of books to share with preschoolers when a pet dies. (JPB)

The Hanford Site contains one of the few remaining contiguous areas of shrub-steppe habitat left in Washington State. This habitat is home to many native plant and wildlife species, some of which are threatened with extinction or are unique to the Site. The importance of the Hanford Site increases as other lands surrounding the Site are developed, and these native species and habitats are lost. Stands of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) on the Site are a particularly important component of shrub-steppe habitat, because a number of wildlife require big sagebrush for food and cover. Since 1993, researchers and field biologists have made anecdotal observations of dying and declining sagebrush in stands of shrubs near the 100 Areas. This study was initiated to delineate and document the general boundary where sagebrush stands appear to be declining. We mapped the areal extent of the die-off using a global positioning system and found that the central portion of the die-off encompasses 280 hectares. Shrub stand defoliation was estimated to be near or greater than 80% in this area. The remainder of the die-off area exhibits varying mixtures of completely defoliated, partially defoliated, and healthy-looking stands. Declining sagebrush stands comprise a total of 1776 hectares.

Purpose: The purpose was to develop an end-of-life care (EOLC) policy for patients who are dying with an advanced life limiting illness and to develop practical procedural guidelines for limiting inappropriate therapeutic medical interventions and improve the quality of care of the dying within an ethical framework and through a professional and family/patient consensus process. Evidence: The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) published its first guidelines on EOLC in 2005 [1] which was later revised in 2012.[2] Since these publications, there has been an exponential increase in empirical information and discussion on the subject. The literature reviewed observational studies, surveys, randomized controlled studies, as well as guidelines and recommendations, for education and quality improvement published across the world. The search terms were: EOLC; do not resuscitate directives; withdrawal and withholding; intensive care; terminal care; medical futility; ethical issues; palliative care; EOLC in India; cultural variations. Indian Association of Palliative Care (IAPC) also recently published its consensus position statement on EOLC policy for the dying.[3] Method: An expert committee of members of the ISCCM and IAPC was formed to make a joint EOLC policy for the dying patients. Proposals from the chair were discussed, debated, and recommendations were formulated through a consensus process. The members extensively reviewed national and international established ethical principles and current procedural practices. This joint EOLC policy has incorporated the sociocultural, ethical, and legal perspectives, while taking into account the needs and situation unique to India. PMID:25249748

Reports the use of death therapy with a cancer patient. Gestalt therapy and creative media were used to facilitate an integration of life and a sense of balance with life. Suggests that counseling the dying means walking along a stretch of the path together. (Author)

This teacher's guide is designed to accompany the three-part videotape "Sentenced to Die." The videotape and teacher's guide should help students to: (1) understand the history of the Eighth Amendment; (2) examine the controversy surrounding the death penalty; (3) compare and contrast differing viewpoints on capital punishment; and (4)…

During a 2014 measles outbreak in Vietnam, postmortem pathologic examination of hospitalized children who died showed that adenovirus type 7 pneumonia was a contributory cause of death in children with measles-associated immune suppression. Adenovirus type 7 pneumonia should be recognized as a major cause of secondary infection after measles.

A range of interventions in dying patients can improve both the possibility of successful organ donation and the likely long-term success of transplantation. The ethical and legal issues surrounding such interventions, which most frequently occur in the context of donation after circulatory determination of death, are complex, controversial and many remain unresolved. This is true with adults, but even more so with children, where the issue of organ donation and premortem interventions to facilitate it, are highly sensitive. Essentially, such interventions are being undertaken in dying children who cannot medically benefit from them, though arguments have been advanced that becoming a donor might be in a child's extended best interest. However, certain interventions carry a potential risk, although small, of direct harm and of course overall objections to child donation after circulatory determination of death per se are still expressed in the literature. But, unlike the case in critically ill adults, those giving permission for such interventions are normally able to fully participate in decision-making, and indeed to consent, to both donation and premortem interventions. We review the issue of the use of premortem interventions in dying children to facilitate organ donation, including decision-making and ethical justification. Individual interventions are then considered, including an ethical analyse of their use. Finally, we recommend an approach using a combination of welfare checklist strategy, coupled with the establishment of an agreed zone of parental discretion about individual interventions which might be used in dying children to increase the possibility of successful organ donation.

The critical role of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) to help elderly nursing home residents' move through declining conditions or diseases to death is salient. It is important for CNAs and nursing home leaders to understand CNAs' attitudes, fears, and anxieties toward death and dying. The quantitative study investigated CNA's…

A grounded theory study was undertaken to understand how general practitioners (GPs) experience the death of their patients. Eleven GPs participated in semi-structured interviews. The participants explained their experience of a patient's death using the "death journey" metaphor. This journey, the Journey with the Dying, could be…